Chapter 5: Sickness Unto Death (by Post Festum)

It has been a long day and night for our three outlanders -- Aengus, Kildyn, and Aarkuhn.

What began as a lucky treasure hunt of a Thamiis Hole turned into the deeply disturbing discovery of a pit filled with what could only be described as the discarded fetuses, infants, and children of Haddonville, and a Reason Stealer. Many of these lost small ones apparently were left with names attached. The only thing of signficant value discovered during the early evening exploration of the hole was a Robe of Many Eyes that the old Marlowe seemed most interested in possessing and Aarkuhn seemed most interested in keeping. The ensuing dust up at the Tank produced little other than the Touch of Ignorance spell visited on Captain Pierce and Marlowe's exit through a Dimension Door of his own creation.

More encounters with the Foxgrove sisters, although this time there was a first sighting of their target - the new Mayor of Mordentshire, Daniel Weathermay. Both of the sisters seem earnest in their devotion to their goal, and the story of the death of their compatriots while following behind the Lord Mayor's has left each of you with the clear impression that however misguided or arrogant, these women are unquestionably serious in their commitment to destroy this pale, sickly looking aristrocrat.

The call to defend the Causeway might not have surprised each of the three of you. At night during the last week a few isolated undead had wandered their way nearly to Causeway before being spotted by patrol, so much that just this morning the patrol had been expanded to include the entire Causeway area.

It is likely that if you listened to the rank-and-file solider of the 15 over breakfast or dinner or at the privvy you would have come to understand the strategic significance of the Causeway for yourself. The sheer size of the family cemeteries, with its hopeless style of generation building in on generation (both above as well as deep below ground) and the proximity to the family estate proper make the small wooden road that neatly bisects the expansive burial complex a lifeline to Haddonville that had to be held.

That such a strategic flaw never concerned the estate's first architects is hardly surprising, for if attack on the great house were to come from both sides of the Causeway, it would mean that the family was literally being attacked by its own roots.

Oh, and both Aengus and Aarkuhn will need to make to Fortitude saves against the Pale Wasting Disease they might have contracted wading through the sea of slaymates. Two bites to Aengus means two rolls for Aengeus. One bite on Aarkuhn's forearm when he let one come a bit too close means one roll for him. We'll take these rolls after you next sleep or rest, so you may choose to delay the roll while you continue to delay your rest. Failure on a roll means a loss of 1d6 CON and 1d6 STR.