On the trail of the Heroes...

Calixa dead, Hollow Hill keep is now deserted. Our heroes decided to spend the night and tend their wounds in the tower overlooking the keep. They discussed with the elves, asking that they watch over the keep and send words of any activity to Bunyan's Camp, which was the heroes' destination on the next day. The night before they left, Aishar received a very curious visit; the shardar-kai man who had survived their encounter a few days before. The dark man inquired about Aishar's fighting style, a very rare and specific style he had only witnessed in the Shadowfel and in one other location on Faerun, and practiced by specific individuals: The Shades of the Netheril empire. Aishar did not seem impressed by the questions and happily revealed everything he knew. The stranger then left with a promise to meet again.

The next day, their travel to the camp was unenventful, but once at Trollaxe's Lumbercamp, they were greeted by Daggerford patrolmen. Then after detailing the events at the keep to an angry Trollaxe, they were approached by a intriguing man who presented himself Baron Ollen of Daggerford. Apparently a very influencial merchand from the swordcoast who took a very personnal interest in these zombie infestations. He explained the situation: Undead creatures have started roaming about the region between Daggerford and the coast, and they are posing a threat to the locals and travelers. The heroes detailed their travels and reasons they were after these undeads. They told him about the Eladrin they were looking for, the meeting with Stuh Ryback and the implication of the Flaming Fist of Baldur's Gate. The Baron seemed taken aback from all these details, his mind working furiously to get a grasp on the situation...

Finally, the very same day, the heroes left for the fishing camp along the coast. Waiting there, looking over the isolated village, Auburn met someone he thought lost forever: his brother. Having lost everything, his father, his ship, his brother, his arm and his pride, Auburn's older brother had also seemingly lost his sanity. Drunk and dying of the same fever that had taken over Fylikiel, he was almost hopeless, but Auburn did not give up on him. They decided to save these poor fishermen. They brought up the bridge and convinced the people to follow them to Selune's Lighthouse, not far to the north.

So thus, along the swordcoast, our heroes are travelling with the remnant of a dying village, accross lands that are now crawling with the undeath... And as they passed a ravine they heard them... The kruthicks.

Worries in Daggerford

"Adventurers you say?",  questioned Captain Awkins.

"Yes Captain, they left the city 5 days ago, Captain", replied the Sergeant. Formalities were not usually necessary between these two, but the Captain was obviously nervous, so the wise Gate Sergeant judge prudent to stick to protocol.

"Why is that we barely even heard of stray zombies except in kid stories, but when Adventurers come asking for some, then they start roaming about like a bad disease!", added an obviously frustrated Captain.

The last three days have been puzzling for the guards of Daggerford. They had sent scouts on a routine mission after the alarming rumors reported by a few adventurers, and the scout had all come back with good news, except for one who never came back. These adventurers went looking for him, and turned out the poor sod had been killed by goblins. But the same day they got that news from Trollaxe's lumber camp, the first wounded arrived at the gates. Travelling merchants had been ambushed by zombies. AMBUSHED, as if they had been waiting like bandits. Then the same evening, scared farmers came asking protection and refuge in Daggerford from zombies they have seen shambling around in their corn fields.

Then this morning, a patrol of guard came bloodied, with one of them dying, after a patrol along the river in search of these zombies, which they found. Then from the bloody WALLS of the city, the Watch spotted 2 skeletal figures in broad daylight, tripping their way toward the city. 

"Double the guards at dusk, and close the gates at night. Curfew an hour past sunset. Send scouts about to warn the locals. And send fast horses to our various camps along the coast", ordered the Captain to various officers surrounding him. "And find these adventurers. I want to know what this is about". 

He fell silent a second, watching the horizon toward the coast. Miles and miles away a storm was darkening the sky. As he was thinking, all voices fell silent around him. He thought they were waiting for his next order, then the sky darkened slowly. He looked at the officers surrounding him and they were all gawking, staring at the sky like a bloody castle had come floating around.

The Captain turned around and looked up....

To see a bloody Castle, floating in the sky, close to the city.

"By the nine fucking hells, what is that thing?".

On the trails of the Heroes

As they charged down on the bugbears, Fylikiel cleverly used a most recent magical discovery: Web. They did quick work of them, and their team work proved that these creatures, although very strong and brutal, were no match for them. This display of talent did not just satisfy them, but also intrigued a most unexpected spectator: Calixa.

Presenting herself as the leader of this keep, she offered to negociate in her quarters. Already suspicious, the players did not let themselves be fooled by her sweet words and promises of personnal gains. Her demon minions did not help either. Auburn always the adventurer at heart provoked the combat with a stunning insult that had Calixa lose her composure... and illusions. All skin and body was ripped and disappeared as the Flameskull revealed its true identity. The undead wasted no time and started with a powerful fireball that hurt especially burnt Auburn. The conflagration gone, the demons servent, 2 Gnaw Demons and a imp, jumped on the arrogant pirate and very nearly killed him.

But they proved the strongest nonetheless. Acane's fast hand and reflexes saved Auburn's life and put him back on his feat. He was back jsut in time to face a bad suprise that came at them from behind a curtained section of Calixa's quarters: A hulking zombie creation. The fleshy monster proved hard to subdue. They ended Calixa's existent with focused spells and arrows, then slowly chopped the zombie down. And just when they thought it defeated, the beast rose again in a last surge of necrotic energy. Then it was over... but not really, as they heard mining sounds coming from the catacombs under the keep.

On their last stretch, bloody and tired, they faced the last of the evil creatures of the keep: Bugbear miners with a nasty surprise: An ogre. But Aishar wisely notice these opponents lacked ranged weapon, so he simply let them try to repel them, and stood strong in the doorway, slowly wounding them all as they switched place, until they were able to move in and finish them off one by one.

That is how our Heroes cleansed Hollow Hill Keep of goblins and their masters on the 27th of Flamerule. Hours of fight, blood and pain, but they had won. How big a victory it was, they do no know yet...

The road ahead is yet unclear, but right now, what is on their mind is rest. Rest and some quiet, at least for now.