Chapter 11: Tegel after dark

  As night falls over Tegel Manor the party finds itself gathering around a fire and serving up Moep's specialty Beans and Bacon. Chi begins a jaunty elvish song singing to the group from just outside the firelight on an old tree stump, arms outstretched and head tilted back to the moon. Beavis begins a serious religious discussion with Alan, Emily, Farhoud, Garrotte and Alexander around the fire. Sven steps away from the others and looks back at the ominous Manor, as Bulls Zi begins cleaning his hand axe and throwing daggers and Lars and Sally settle down on their bedrolls.

  As weariness begins to overtake them and the embers begin to die, three dark shapes drop from the sky taking everyone by surprise! The large winged creatures attack, the first lunges at Chi and just misses the nimble elf! The second startles Alex, Bulls Zi and Sven. The third creature swats Emily across the face slamming her across the camp site and knocking her senseless as six of her teeth bounce across the grass!

  Sven feels the axe call out to him and loses himself in a red rage! A fierce melee ensues with Bulls Zi hurling his axe as well against the monster. Sven dispatches the gargoyle with a spectacular blow to the body!

  Sally dons a chain shirt while Lars and Garrotte cover her. From the darkness around the group red eyes can be seen reflecting the firelight. A large horde of swift moving bestial man-like creatures swarm the campsite. The front doors of Tegel Manor swing open and a host of skeletal men-at-arms come clattering down the steps, in their midst a large warrior in breastplate and helm with a sword and whip wreathed in blue flame bellows, “Bring those who would defile our Lady’s bed to their knees! They must pay for their insolence!”

  Alexander is quick to react to this new threat and races closer towards the skeletal horde, using magic he casts force manipulation while calling out “Sezrekan, I accept your offer!” and blocks the advancement of the undead horde. A regal woman in a blood red gown emerges from the open doorway. She raises her hands and attempts to dispel the magical wall but is unsuccessful. Snarling in rage she turns and withdraws with the horde back into the manor.

  In the meantime the pack bestial ghouls have been driven off by turnings from the cleric’s and Sven’s maniacal axe work! Garrotte came face to face with the gargoyle that tried to claw Chi and with the shadow blade laid it low! Brother Beavis calls forth the power of Losborst upon the third and final gargoyle. A heaven sent bucket of wine drops down upon the creatures head and it falls flat on its face. It struggles to rise and charges the group swinging its deadly claws about. The gargoyle takes wing and bashes Beavis as it rises into the night sky. Alexander uses a glowing hand of mystic force to drag the creature back to the ground. Emily swings her axe at the held foe but it shatters upon impact! Moep throws  the bean filled cook pot directly in the creatures face, just as Sven leap through the air and delivers a senses shattering blow that obliterates the creature!

  The group begins binding wounds and throwing gear into the wagon. “Should have stayed in the Mead hall.” mutters Bulls Zi while searching for his throwing axe.

“We should go, as quickly as we can.” says Lars.

Alexander moves towards the manor, “I must do something first.” Muttering arcane words and repeating the dread name Sezrekan repeatedly the doors of the manor slam shut. Then glowing chains erupt from the ground binding the doorway shut while causing it to fade from view leaving only a blank stone wall. Farhoud rushes forward and helps Alexander back towards the wagon.

  “Look out!” cries Alan pointing into the darkness, the gleam of eyes has returned. A second pack of snarling ghouls rushes towards the party.

A bellowing command of “GET THEM!” reveals the undead have returned and now flank the party having used the Tegel ballroom to get around the magically locked front doors. The moonlight revealing a horde some twenty to thirty strong marching upon them from the left, ghouls charging in from the right! A hail of arrows rains down upon the group, Emily and Garrotte are struck down by terrible wounds inflicted by the skeletal archers.

“There’s too many!” cries Moep diving into the wagon. Alexander leaning against the wagon draws a scroll from his cloak and chants the dread Sorcerers name again. Hands glowing with the fires of hell itself three blazing bolts scream forth and incinerate a handful of the ghouls.

Sally stands up in the back of the wagon and points towards the oncoming skeletal force, crying Mesha’s name she summons the earth itself to bind them in place! “We must go now!”

 

  As the wagon begins to pull away with the group piled in, Beavis leaps from the wagon and faces the combined forces of evil.

“Losborst, you have forsaken me these last few hours. I call upon you now! Grant me the power to truly be your champion here and now!” Face to the heavens Beavis cries out for divine aid!

Alexander weakly reaches out to Beavis, “Don’t do it! Get back in the wagon!”

“Go Farhoud! Make for the fishing village, he has chosen his fate!” says Lars.

“Good luck to you Father!” cries Garrotte.

Sven prepares to leap from the wagon to aid Beavis when a beam of light shines down from above centered on the Cleric. A twenty foot tall glowing Losborst appears in front of Beavis. He looks about the battlefield and notices the wagon quickly departing downhill. “Beavis, the time has not yet come.” with a swift kick Losborst launches Beavis into the air. Halfway downhill the party is pursued by the snarling ghouls when Beavis lands in the wagon! A few well placed arrows from Chi and an assortment of hurled brik-a-brak from Moep seems to drive the ghouls off.

“That was too easy,” grumbles Lars “like they let us go. Stay wary!”

Farhoud slows the wagon but keeps a good pace headed towards the fishing village. Chi peers ahead along the road while Moep and Garrotte watch to the left and right. The Clerics also frantically work on the wounds inflicted by the undead arrows upon Emily and Garrotte which are rotting at an advanced rate. The sorely wounded Garrotte spots a group of cloaked figures lurking in the bush just of the roadside.

“My friends, there!” he points as the figures burst onto the road surrounding the wagon. The cloaked figures draw wavy bladed daggers from their belts, and cry “For our brothers!” Their featureless faces reveal them to be stragglers from the Pit!

“No More!” shouts Alexander standing up in the wagon arms outstretched and fingers pointed at the cultists! An explosion of light bursts from his fingers as a shower of mystic bolts showers down on friend and foe alike! The hooded men are slain or wounded and Chi kills one with a double arrow shot, as Alexander wide eyed and a bit haggard says “That’s right! Anybody else?” then collapses in the wagon.

  The party reaches the safety of the Trident, near Tegel lighthouse. A valuable lesson has been learned by all.

  Do NOT spend the night at the Manor.