Chapter 41 - In Death's Train

General Summary

The dwarfs escort their guests to the main gate, and open the portal to the outside world. Prior to departing, the travelers ask Schweigder's people how they will be able to get back in once they return. The dwarfs reply that Dietmar is able to send messages with his mind, so there is no reason he can't alert the residents of Fellsmar to their coming. There is no way to open the portal from the outside without the key, and on a special location, or even to find the way from the front gate to the audience hall - the passages are very convoluted, and Franz has trouble remembering the way they came. 
Once outside, the group sets off in search of the dead and the insane, who are apparently holding Carrot captive. By the light of Dietmar's staff, they travel downhill, toward the tree line. After darkness falls, Franz and Nit go forth to scout the terrain, invisibly. Soon, they come upon masses of dancing people, madly piping, hopping and gyrating before they collapse from exhaustion. One of the revelers is Wolff the Miller - a familiar figure (to Franz, anyway). Further ahead, large numbers of walking dead are making their way through the woods, and apparently heading north.   
One dancer is having a hard time stopping and catching himself, but he manages to summon up his will, and stops following the Death's train. "Help me!" he whispers, and Nit, with Franz, approach invisibly and try to comfort the man. He is dressed in scholar's robes, not dissimilar to Reinhard. Once the disembodied voices reveal themselves, the man introduces himself as Eliyahu Azazeme, a learned doctor from Rudolf University in Spad, south of the Düst Mountains. He as encouraged to come north, into the devastated ares by his now deceased mentor, though he may be coming to regret the decision. Wanting to study the world as it actually is, rather than from the pages of books, is a noble endeavor, but Eliyahu is really out of place here, not being suited for traveling through the wilderness. And now, he was nearly swept up in the human tail of the Totentanz, which would likely have killed him.
Franz and Nit bring Eliyahu back to the the camp set up by the rest of their companions. Eliyahu meets them, though Dietmar and (especially) Ingrid, are less than thrilled with Eliyahu's claim of continued allegiance to the Fogarma, his parents' people (recalling, as they do, stories of Fogarma drinking Gaalite blood, poisoning wells, and spreading the Plague). More pressing is the need to free their donkey from the dead and their followers. Franz's scouting locates the beast, braying as he is pulled long by crazed dancers. 
The companions advance, and Nit conjures an illusory fire, which attracts the attention of living and dead alike. Franz and the others descend on the group pulling poor Carrot along, and the donkey makes a desparate, albeit successful attempt to break free. The group runs as they have now attracted the attention of stumbling, shambling dead. They flee the scene, with Nit being able to get a ride atop the grateful beast, which tells her how he was captured by the mad followers of the Sensenmann. Once they feel like they have outrun his minions, Nit conjures up her special domed hut, and all the travelers huddle inside, just barely able to fit now that Carrot has rejoined them. But soon, they descend upon the dome, and swarm it like so many insects, though they cannot get inside. Dmitrei, Ingrid and Franz stab through the dome and are able to dispatch at least twenty of the corpses before the rest retreat or wander off. All told around a 100 followed them out of an overall number, Franz feels, that is many times that. The dead are on a mission to the north, though it is not clear to where. As they may be headed to Wunschau, Dietmar sends a mental message to the bishop, warning him of what may be headed their way. The latter does respond, and though he doesn't know where the message originates from, he thanks the friar for the warning.  
The companions waken the next morning, ready to continue the pursuit, but not wanting to get too close. Ingrid, however, is exhausted - the experiences of the previous day have her out of sorts...

Missions/Quests Completed

• Carrot and Eliyahu freed from the Totentanz 

Character(s) interacted with

Wolff the Miller

dwarfs in Schweigder's service

Udo of Plewa, Bishop of Wunschau 

Report Date

03 Aug 2021