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| A Fight In The Dark |
| The salvation of Westdel did not come free |
Father,
I am glad to be able to tell you that we were able to save Westdel and put the undead to rest; though I write this letter very weary, both physically and spiritually. I feel as if Shaelan has abandoned me. What we found in Brochbarrow Hill will haunt my dreams for a long time.
When we reached the top of the hill, we found a battlemage named Thurin fighting an undead troll. After we had defeated the troll, Thurin informed us he had been sent by the battlemage acadamy to hunt undead. We found a trap door leading into the hill, and climed down. After a battle against 6 more undead gnomes, we entered the tomb of Uthrin of Stonebridge, the ruler of Stonebridge long ago when if fell to the armies of the Valley of the Eye. The spirit of Uthrin met with us and told us that the orb had corrupted the earth elemental that warded the hill, and that is was beginning to take over all the dead entomed there. We promised Uthrin that we would free the elemental and place him and his people to rest.
When we entered the next chamber, things took a very evil turn. I don't recall much of what happened; what I do know is that when we entered the chamber a strange madness overtook me. When I came back to myself, Thurin was unconscious and the rest of us were faced by a strange black shadow. Our weapons proved ineffective, and every time it touched someone, the madness began to overtake them again, and the creature grew stronger. Gim seemed to think Uthrin might be able to help us, so him and Rorrin went back up to the tomb. I don't know what was said, but moments later Kano returned and gave a short sword to Eoin. As Eoin grasped the sword it burst into flames. With this weapon Eoin was able to defeat our enemy. With thurin in tow we all went back to talk to Uthrin who informed us that the sword's magic would now be locked away unless we could convince this wife's spirit (in the ruins of stonebridge), that he was at rest. He also said the orb was beginning to gain control, and hinted that Westdel was in trouble.
We decided to head back to Westdel, and made haste to return. We gathered all the townsfolk at the church, but noticed that Farmer grimsby was not among them. We all went to grimsby's farm to bring him back, only to find that the undead had arrived before us. We defeated the zombies at his farm, and after some negotiation by Gim Grimsby accompanied us back to town. We moved as fast as we could, but we would still have been too late. If not for Esmerelda, all the townsfolk would probably have been killed. As we were getting close, we saw an explosion. When we arrived we saw many zombie corpses, and Esmerelda on the steps. All the gnomes who had been fighting, included Gnorman were injured, but the town was safe for the moment. We vowed to make our way back to the Hill in the morning and destroy the orb.
Things were going well the following day. We reached the hill without incident (except for Rorrin and Thurin, who stayed behind to defend the town), and once agin decended into the darkness. We returned to the room where the shade was, and I led the descent into the heart of the Hill. I fell out of the ceiling and landed hard on a pile of bones, cutting my leg on one. As we moved through the room, a sudden movement cought our attention, and we found ourselves faced with a swarm of skeletal rats. After beating off the rats, we entered a room with a raised pedestal. It was then that the elemental attacked. At first Groehl was able to make the creature flee, by calling on the power of Throrn. When it returned it struck out and slammed into me. As I was struck by the creature, it felt as if part of my soul was drained.
After fighting some more, Groehl again called upon Throrn and thrust his hand into the creature. With a flash of light the creature crumbled into the earth, and Groehl was left holding the remains of the orb. The fight was over , and though my physical wounds were healed I could still feel the effects of the blow. we made our way out of the Hill, hid the enterance, and returned to Westdel. The local cleric said that he could do nothing for the illness I had and it was up to my body to fight it off. It has been several days now, and while I no longer feel ill, I still feel slightly weak. I am now ready to begin the journey to cobblepot; I don't know if all my companion will accompany me, but I'm sure some will want to head for Stonebridge to renew the magic of Uthrin's sword. As we prepare to begin our new journey, I can only pray that Shaelan will be with me. My faith was tested but not broken. I will write you again as soon as I can.
Your Son,
Lochlan |
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| Associated Regions: Brochbarrow Hill, Westdel, Cobblepot |
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| From the journal of Lochlan |
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Contributor: Joseph Arnett |
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