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[Location:]

The following morning you arise and make preparations to continue to the capital. As you leave the inn Eeada, Duny, and little Moira meet you at the stables.

"Thank you, again, for punishing them. I know our parents ain't coming back... But it helps to know it won't happen again" Eeada says, watching you gather your things in the cart. There is a haunted look in her eyes that will take some time to fade, but perhaps your efforts will have started the process. Duny nods in agreement, Moira clinging to his side.



Location: Aite Aerd
Date: Fabri 13, 796
Time:1200

Arriving once again in the capital, you have a moment to decide how to proceed.

"Straight to the Righ then? Or should we try to arrange a private audience to report? If MacArtain really is responsible for what happened in that village it might be a good idea not to tip him off he's been discovered, and surely he'll be at court."

[Location:]

The villagers express their thanks for allowing them to travel with you, there is safety in numbers after all.

Location: Caer Mog
Date: Fabri 6, 796
Time: 1800

After a few days of relatively uneventful travel you once again find yourselves in the town of Caer Mog. The group of villagers depart from your party with thanks, off to seek a way to pick up the pieces of their lives. Meanwhile Duny points the way to his uncle's inn, The Unbreakable Diamond.

Duny's uncle it so happened, is an absurdly muscular gentleman. His heart proves twice as large as his muscles though, and agrees readily to accept guardianship of the children. He offers his sincere gratitude for protecting his nephew and provides you with free room and board for the night.

"To be honest, I was paying more attention to getting away from zombies than looking to see how was making them" Keelan replied. "Though maybe one of the others got a better look." He turned in the saddle to the group of villagers in the distance and waved animatedly, indicating they should come down.

A few minutes later, the other group had joined yours. Keelan asked the others the question you had posed him, and though most had replied similarly about trying to escape, a young woman mentioned she had overheard something that could be useful.

"Before the zombies started attacking folks I overheard one of those robed fellows talking about reportin' back to a Peadaran L

[info]Sense Motive: The villager appears to be telling the truth.[/info]

Eeada sat up from where the children had hunkered down expecting violence and scrutinized the man. "Oh, that's Keelan Ryan! The butcher's eldest son. You made it out? We thought everyone was dead."

"Eeada? That's a shock, where's your mum?" Keelan replied.

"Dead." Eeada responded flatly, looking away.

"Ah... right... Sorry."

"Yes. Well, we were. Say, has anyone else come through here recently? By which I mean, mysteriously arriving in your basement?"

[info]Thedrin perception:
It seems the group is comprised of about six people if you include the rider that approached your party. Unfortunately at this distance it is difficult to tell how well armed they might be.[/info]

The man shuffles nervously in his saddle, somewhat intimidated. "Urrr.. right I suppose it ain't really." He glances over his shoulder at his group. "Well its not so much that we're following, as it is we're going in the same direction I expect. We're heading to Caer Mog, escaped the village when everyone started getting turned into zombies and hid outside for a couple days trying not to get eaten. When all the zombies dropped we thought it would be safe to leave and that's when we saw your group. You're pretty well armed and you've got those kids in the cart so we wasn't sure if you were bandits or some such and kept our distance."

Your group halts on the road, waiting, watching the other party. The mysterious pursuers come to a halt soon after you, from this distance you still can't get a good read on who they might be but you aren't left in suspense for very long.

A lone rider approaches from their number. It takes a few minutes for them to get close enough but eventually you can see it is in fact a man, very lightly armed, and wearing nothing one might consider protective gear. He reins in his horse about a hundred feet from you, and the air bristles with the anticipation of violence. Eventually he speaks: "Uhh hey there... Travelers? Where are you heading?" The man glances nervously at your weapons, and the children in the cart.

"Do they ever surrender?" Scathach asked rhetorically. "We have kids to protect, should we really be picking a fight we can easily avoid?"

A few days out of Baile Fada, about halfway to Caer Mog, Scathach turns in the saddle to address the group. "Don't look now but I think we're being followed."

Cecilia had also noticed the group of riders that had been shadowing your party for the better part of the day. They had stayed far enough from the road to avoid all but the keenest eye, yet close enough to ensure they could chase you down if need be. It is unclear what their intentions are, but most likely they are far from good.

"Do you want to make a run for it? If we're lucky we could lose them entirely, at the very least put enough distance between us that we get to town first."

Caer Mog was still two days away, and the children you were escorting would need protecting if the mysterious group caught up with you.

"Good" The girl replied without emotion and spat.

"Got an uncle in Caer Mog" Duny piped up. "He might take us in. Runs an inn there, the something Diamond I think."

"Either way we're going to need a cart. I don't fancy riding double for a week." I'll go take a look for one while the kids pack up what they can.

Roughly half an hour later, Scathach returned with a small cart easily drawable by a single horse. The three children piled into the back with the belongings they couldn't do without and you left Baile Fada behind, heading east to Caer Mog."

[info]Perception checks required.[/info]

"If wild dogs don't get them first" Scathach said, flatly. "Damn shame."

Taking the train back to town is a trivial matter of repeating the process that got you to the mine, but flipping a lever to send the vehicle in the opposite direction. When you arrive back in the village, the children are sitting on a low stone wall near the station awaiting your return.

"You get the bastards?" Eeada asks, the half spear resting on her lap.

Departing the mine as a group, you come back out into the sunlight and fresh air and it is immediately apparent that the lich made good on his promise. Not too far from the entrance of the mine you are able to see the collapsed and immobile bodies of the nearest section of the zombie horde. The villagers have been released from the curse of undeath, and have once again become regular corpses. It is a bittersweet victory, but the outcome was likely unavoidable.

"Well, we know what happened, we've dealt with it, and learned something important in the process" Scathach said, looking at the bodies ruefully. "Should we head back to the village and find those kids before going back to the capital?"

"Seems we have little choice, given the alternative is going back the way we came."

The lich chuckled softly, "I'm sure he fought bravely."

Turning once more to the portal, the lich passed through its glimmering outline and out of sight, the door snapping shut to a single point of light and then vanishing completely. Nearby Scathach let out an audible sigh of relief. "Fuck me, that was something."

"Of course" the lich replied, observing Thedrin closely as he approached the diagram and drew his blade across the outer ring.

When the binding ring was broken there was a soft but noticeable rush of air as the magic barrier surrounding the lich fell away. The powerful undead was still for a moment, and then stretched languidly. "Ahhh... You don't know how good that feels. Now about our bargain..."

The lich raised a hand, slowly, and the tension in the small alcove reached an unbearable thickness. For an agonizing moment it became apparent that perhaps freeing him was a terrible, terrible, mistake. The sharp pop of his bony fingers snapping quickly was enough to make Scathach jump and let out a quiet squeak. "There, done. As promised all nine thousand four-hundred and fifty-two villagers from that charming nearby hamlet have been de-animated. Which is to say that the enchantment has been lifted and they are now ordinary corpses. Regrettable I know, but such is... life."

The lich turned away from your group and waved a hand in front of him. From nothing a brilliant portal of shimmering light burst into existence with a great rushing of air. "And now I will take my leave. Our meeting was most pleasant, but I do hope that was our last. Incidentally, that sword you carry, how did you come by it?" he asked, eyeing Thedrin's sword once more as he stood before his magical doorway.