Session 9: The Miracle
Activity Log - An attack on the city leads to a consequential intervention
General Summary
Even from our exit of the Grand Temple, we could see and hear the din rising from the fire at the Counting House. Our paths took us near to that area, and, despite our misgivings for getting involved, passed through the area to verify that the lockbox had been stolen in this flagrant act. Even as we approached, we could sight wagon ambulances from Mercy Hill Hospital on the scene.
Pushing through the crowd, we find the student Rellahne amongst the medical staff here to help with the casualties in the area. It seems that even they were being called to help the staff given the severity of the fire. Seeing us, she waves us over and asks for our help, wondering aloud what could have happened here. For now, we keep what we know to ourselves until we can investigate further.
We help with loading the wounded into the ambulances, noting the strange nature of their burns. There was something unusual about the flames that have so badly wounded the people caught up in the blast. TK is curiously examining several of the patients as we assist the hospital staff, but we have little time to contemplate this as a scream arose near one of the wagons meant for carrying the dead to the hospital morgue. Almost simultaneously, the bodies of those killed by the fire rose, shambling to their feet and attacking the living. Somehow, they had risen as zombies, same as if they had been infected by whatever curse spread by the Masked Necromancer’s magic.
Fortunately, my letter did reach Lt. Freeleaf, though the increased constabulary presence did not prevent this attack. It can, however, aid the survivors here now. I push through looking for the Lt., and, finding him, reported to him our suspicions on the connection between what was happening here and what had happened at the fish oil plant where the zombies were being housed in our last encounter. To his credit, after a moment of horror, he regained his composure and took my advice, ordering his men to encircle the burning counting house and maintain order and stop any zombies from getting past them and into the city where the infection could spread uncontrollably.
While I was away speaking to Greanleaf, Horick and TK decide to recklessly rush into the counting house. I can’t begin to fathom what could possess them to attempt something so reckless without a plan or even together as a group, but when I returned to the wagons and found Cojitron treating some of the wounded alone, the two of us figured out what they had done and, assuring Rellahne that we would come to the hospital to help her and the staff with the injured (and to make sure the dead were properly dealt with to prevent more zombies rising), cover ourselves with water before braving the fire of the counting house. The fire brigade had yet to arrive and so we resolved to find the other two, who no doubt were heading to Fink’s vault, and escape.
Before we got there, Horick and TK ran into some trouble immediately, finding the corpses of several slain counting house guards as well as well armed skeletons strewn through the floors. A deadly battle occurred here moments earlier, and as well trained and equipped the guards were, the Necromancer’s skeletons knew no fear from the fire. In fact, TK and Cojitron both came to startling and terrifying realizations; that the fire that started this destruction was not a natural flame, but magical in nature and worse yet, fueled by the dark power of necromancy. It was currently capable of spreading the undead curse through all it felled.
Fearing this and now leery of the bodies of the dead guards, we made our way to the lower level vaults, and are forced to fight a couple zombies alight with the evil flame to get to our friends. Fortunately their numbers were low but we knew that that was not going to remain the case for long. We eventually reached the vault that belonged to Fink; the fire had only gotten worse and the smoke and heat were unbearable. The vault door had been melted clean through, as if it had been withered away. Inside we found Horick and TK. Like us they had managed to fight their way through a few zombies and were desperately searching the vault. TK comments that the lockbox was gone, as we suspected, and he had found little else of value. More likely, the fire kept them from effecting a useful search. I beseech them to escape, and fortunately they did not take much convincing, for as we exited the vault, we ran afoul to a few guards that had risen as undead. They spot us and immediately move to attack. Horick’s newly acquired magic was a timely “gift” as three casters helped us clear through these newly risen guards quickly instead of getting mired in a face to face fight inside a raging inferno that could threaten to turn us into one of them. We made for the stairs, suffering from burns and finding it difficult to breath and see through the smoke. Only Cojitron’s construct nature kept them from suffering like the three of us were, though even they were finding it hard to navigate properly.
Figthing our way through another several counting house guards, we collapse not far from the entrance. The ordeal had been too much. Cojitron, thankfully, quickly administered Horick’s found healing potion from one of the guards and together they pulled us to safety outside the counting house, as we had at least fallen only several dozen feet from there. Unfortunately for us, TK had no such potions remaining on him and, having taken to the blaze worse than I, expired at the entrance.
I eventually gasped awake, and, finding a somber Horick and Cojitron over the still TK, I quickly sought out Lt. Greenleaf, who was within the barrier the contables had erected. They had managed to slay many of the zombies and, warning him that they must avoid being bitten at all costs, which they had largely thanks to the long pikes they brought with them to keep them at bay, informed him that we would head to the hospital to see to the wounded there. Lt. Greenleaf thanked us for the advanced warning, which helped minimize the damage, but I could barely hear him over my near panic for my deceased companion.
I rush back and tell the others to load TK’s body into the ambulance left to us by Rellahne. Instead of taking it to Mercy Hill, however, I tell them we must take the chance that Svala could truly commune with Wynte and raced to the Grand Temple to beseech her help with, if not bringing our friend back from the dead, to at least stop him from rising as an undead slave. Racing against time, we could already see the magic’s darkness take hold of his body, but, knowing the way as well as we did, we made it to the temple quickly and carried him to Svala’s room. During the course of our travel, we had to restrain him with rope to be safe. The whole affair reeked of desperation but I had no time in my mind to do anything other than exactly such an act of desperation. There was no time for premature mourning. Svala is shocked to see us again so soon, and when we plead with her to call upon whatever power she believes Wynte still could affect on Tea Kettle, she showed only a moment’s hesitation and doubt, denying that she was any cleric, but whatever faith fueled her belief won out and she ushered us into her study. Saying that she would need a good portion of the “moon touched” entrails we procured for her earlier in the evening, as that would call Pale Eye’s power to her, she also asks from each of us a small amount of blood and a few pieces of manacite to energize the spell as well as some Aurins to cover other material components. We provide what she asks.
Standing near the body as she performs her ritual, she asks each of us to call out to our friend and provide a reason to compel his soul back the living; she claims that the departed may not desire to return, and a strong link would help bring them back. All of this was deeply troubling to me; I have never thought of death beyond the practical nature of it, much less the idea of souls and where they went. I offered that Tea Kettle’s work here was far from done, that he had a duty to his master and their goals, and to his own desires. Horick preached revenge against those that began this series of events that caused his demise. Cojitron, probably the one that related to him most, wanted his companionship.
Svala’s strange ritual eventually began to stir a miracle; TK’s wounds closed, but even as we saw his body restored, we realized he was beginning to take on the physical qualities of the were-bat that provided the guts in the ritual. Fur mixed in with his feathers, fangs appeared in his beak; it was unsettling, but we had little time to think on it as his eyes opened and he sat up, confused as to his whereabouts. We explain what had happened and, taking this all in his usual Tengu stride, wondered about his rebirth and transformation. Inquiring as to how he felt, he only offered that it was different, that he sensed things unusually now. Svala proclaimed the greatness of Wynte and called us its acolytes. Though we thank her profusely, she is adamant that in the future she would call on us for further tasks to help protect her discovery that the power of, at least hers anyway, the gods still flowed through Tairos. Despite witnessing this myself, I reserve judgment to those with stronger knowledge in the arcane and divine than I do. For now, it was enough that our folly had not cost us a life.
Leaving the Grand Temple, we travel to the hospital to check on the staff. Finding no one at the front door to the emergency wing but some broken wagons and the door ajar, we cautiously enter. We find that the wing is in a state of utter disaster, with equipment and furniture overturned. Blood stained the floor and walls. We arm ourselves and venture in, and, further towards the main desk, we find six zombies, bodies risen from among those brought here from the counting house no doubt.
I manage to sneak to the communication horns at the desk and ask if anyone is on the other side. Rellahne’s voice comes through, saying that she and the survivors, led by now maintenance chief Fez, have followed the protocol set up by the hospital management after our last run-in with the undead here and barricaded themselves and the patients in the wards upstairs. The doors were stout enough to keep the zombies out for now, but we told her to hang back while we cleared the area and make our way to them. The zombies are no match for us as we launched a counter offensive and cleared the group in this area swiftly.
We pick off any stragglers on our way to the surgery wing and the door that led to the stairs to the 2nd floor wings, when we hear a large banging against the door leading to the morgue. Moments later, it splintered and in rushed a zombified horse. Sighting us, it crazily barreled right at us. Throwing whatever furniture we could to keep it from running us down, we destroy it with fire before it could do any lasting damage. Knowing that the noise was attracting more zombies, we secure the area before contacting Rellahne again through the horn system and, deciding to investigate the morgue to make sure no zombies were milling about and could come at us from behind, we walk downstairs and take a look. The sight is grim, but no other undead had survived down there, save for one.
Shambling about was the walking corpse of Trevor. He must have gone to the festivities and was caught up in the resulting attack on the counting house. We silently dispatch our only just met friend and I vowed that the toll extracted from us had been great. Much as I wanted to, we couldn’t step aside and hope the constables could handle the Masked Necromancer anymore, not especially since whoever they were were connected to Ian Becker and thus Uncle Dayne somehow.
We prepared to clear out the hospital and mount as best a defense as we could. The End for now, ~Bayour S.
Rewards Granted
- None, unless being invited to the exclusive circle of moon worshippers counts
Missions/Quests Completed
- The Counting House has been attacked mostly destroyed and one of the Fink lockboxes taken, but the spread of the infection is contained
- The Mercy Hill Hospital has been defended for now
Character(s) interacted with
- Rellahne Qidane, first year medical student at Mercy Hill
- Svala Skurgrid, Frostmerite worshipper of Wynte and teaching assistant to professor Galen
- Lt. Diagwen Freeleaf, honest constable
Related Reports
Notes
- The night has not yet ended, and losses continue to mount
Report Date
11 May 2024
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
