29th Day of Garmensis – Part III

Hogar’s Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

29^th Day of Garmensis – Part III

Silverkin Manor – Entrance Hall And Dining Room

The manor house was a long dead husk, boarded up to prevent the incursion of the living.  Formerly lime-washed walls have begun to peel under the influence of the weather.  Unruly plants surrounded the structure clawing at the walls and roof as the untended orchard, free of the constraints of civilisation attempted to claim back that which was once Melora’s.  An iron bound oak door stood on rusted hinges atop a set of stone steps.  Eligos approached it first and pushed her way into the hall.

The contrast from inside to out could not have been more marked.  Light flooded into the hall through to the open door to reveal opulent carpets draped over a polished stone floor.  Oak panelled walls surrounded the hallway, punctuated by double doors that led off to both left and right.  A grand staircase spiralled upwards towards a landing.

Glen suggested that we explore the lower level first, so we passed between two suits of armour and through a set of doors to our left.  It would seem that we burst in on dinner as we were immediately confronted by four figures hunched over a dining table large enough to accommodate five times their number.  This was all difficult to make out as the only light in the room came from a large fire roaring to our left and the dirty light of several small candles throughout the room.  No light came through a window on the wall opposite, which was boarded over.

My eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom and it became apparent that the beings at the table had wings and like everything else we encountered near this accursed place, rotten flesh hung limply from their undead frames.  Slowly they turned their hungry dead eyes upon us.

Eligos barrelled through the door and relieved the nearest gargoyle of an arm.  Vic, unusually on the ball moved in and stunned another with a spell.  One after another we moved into the room and quickly began to overwhelm the dull-witted zombies.  Two of them were quickly felled but before we could get to grips with the remaining two an apparition floated into the room through the north wall.  At the appearance of the wraith a clamour of voices invaded my consciousness to the exclusion of the world outside.  As I was overcome by the wraith’s presence I was able to loose an arrow in his direction but if it had any effect I was unaware of it.

I don’t know how long I was under, perhaps just a few seconds but suddenly my head began to clear and I noticed Glen standing over the prone ‘body’ of the wraith.  A wet cutting sound over my shoulder drew my attention and I turned to see Minron engaging the two remaining zombies alone.  He drew blood from one and dispatched the other outright in one graceful movement.  Having come to my senses I was able to aid him by dispatching the other with a well placed arrow.

The last zombie down, Minron and I turned to aid our companions in dispatching the wraith.  Immediately it became apparent that whilst its hold on me had been broken the others were all struggling with the effects of his presence.  Vic, Eligos, Glen and Rodney all seemed unable to move.  Whilst the others were managing to hit the wraith in their befuddled state Vic was completely addled, just standing there casting spells at the wall.

Minron joined the others in fighting the wraith hand to hand whilst I peppered him with arrows from a distance.  These attacks seemed to have a diminished impact on the creature but with odds of six versus one the blows started to add up and he started to wither before our eyes.  Progressively weakening he started to shift back and forth through the wall into the entrance hall to buy some space.  Ultimately this proved futile as Rodney charged out and engulfed the creature in flame, taking a massive blow in the process that left him dazed and bleeding.

The monsters dispatched of, we retreated into the dining hall so that Minron and Vicrael could treat our wounds, not that I had any to speak of.  Whilst the nurse-maiding went on I searched the dining room and its adjoining kitchen.  It would appear that reanimated corpses don’t have much of an appetite as all I found were two bottles of what Minron informs me are healing potions.  I took one and the mage had another.