Guardians of the Citadel — Legacy Forums

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#121

Turning at the sound of the hooves, Tusserk grabs his gear and shoves it into the backpack. Remaining at a slight crouch as he makes his way to the river, he slips into the water once more.

Holding his breath as he remains just below the water, Tusserk watches for any sign of intent from the group of riders. “Should have doused the fire but it is far too late now to worry about that.” The spear rested easily in his grip, ready to flash upwards at the first sign of hostility.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#122

Mystic's lip curled as he eyed the advancing horsemen. He readied the crossbow, feeling confusion and fogginess turn to a clear, pinpoint focus as the adrenaline began to flow. He resisted the urge to toss aside the ranged weapon and go charging into the riders' midst, cleaving to and fro with the halberd. Thoughts like What's wrong with me? and Why doesn't the world make sense? were ripped away.

"I know I'm not real clear on what's going on, but these guys aren't here for our health, right? We can stop them?"

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#123

"I have an oil flask, I can light the bridge on fire and halt their progress, then fill them with arrows as they try to ford the river." She readied her bow and notched an arrow, raising an eye brow as the spear wielding man seemed to vanish under the waves. "Unless someone has a better idea, in which case, out with it." She gave them a nod, the adrenaline of pre-battle flowing through her, a large part of her deeply wishing she had her Glock 22, fifteen rounds of 180 grain .40 caliber hollow point ammunition sounded a lot more reassuring then lengths of wood with metal bits on end and a length of forged steel.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#124

"Normally, I'd say feather the horses, but they likely have more HP than the riders... Lucky should be able to spook the horses. Too bad we dont' have enlarge - that would rock."

Valadaar pulled out his sling, wishing for better cover. This open combat did not suit him at all.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#125

Silveressa shook her head at Val's suggestion, "If we can take the horses alive our travel will be much faster and easier." She looked over at echo, his earlier laugh still not sitting well with her. "As a cleric of a death goddess, can you charm these undead somehow? Turn them to our side or something? I get you can probably turn undead liek normal clerics, but a death goddess must have some sway over the undead."

As she spoke she returned the arrow to its quiver and pulled our her oil flask covering the middle of the bridge with its contents and then striking a torch as she retreated, ready to set the oil a blaze when the undead party drew closer.

(OOC: If someone has an alternative, or doesn't want me to oil/burn the bridge, feel free to interrupt my action with a suggestion or whatever.)

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#126

Lucky growled as the stench of death once more assaulted his senses, looking at the riders in the distance with unease. "More grave spawn," She snarled, the hackles on her neck raised in discomfort, she shook herself in annoyance, reaching back to pull the quick release strap to drop her saddle bags on the side of the river they had chosen to make a stand on.

"I can spook the horses with a howl, just tell me when." She told the group, keeping a careful eye on the rest of their surroundings in the event another enemy arrived to flank them.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#127

The riders approached the river bank slowly, and paused, contemplating the bridge.

At this distance their horrid nature became apparent to the eye. Skeleton-warriors clad in chain, plate and helm, wielding swords, axes, bows, maces, and spears.

Empty, ebon-black, eye sockets dominated their cadaverous visages, their expressionless faces unnerving even from afar. Patches of taut, stretched skin the color of ivory, clung in places on their bony cheeks and jaws.

Neither their bodies nor their arms or legs could be discerned beneath the full body tapestry of armor and the chain-link gauntlets they wore.

If they had a leader it was impossible to tell. Apart from wielding different weapons, each one of them looked nearly identical to the other.

Their mounts were likewise unusual. In most appearances like any other dappled gray and black coursers in barding, but with empty dark sockets where there eyes should have been, and thick, matted, lion-like manes of ashen gray and black fur, around their muscular necks.

The six riders methodically rode their mounts upon the bridge and at a leisurely pace, their horses' hooves clacking on the old stone, proceeded to head for the group on the opposite bank. Even seeing Lucky (if they could see at all) did not give them pause, they were intent on approach...

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#128

"It of course depends on whom you ask, but I think I'm not evil, so controlling them is unlikely. I will attempt to put a little fear of the Beyond in them, though - they seem a little later for the afterlife. Tardy."
"Hah, sometimes I crack up myself."

Then, the girl's mien sobered as the persona of the priestess facing a group of grave-spawn surfaced. This was a grave matter, and, deathly serious, she advanced with a firm step, brandishing a rose of garnet and silver, glistening with an eerie sheen.
"Leave this place, ye restless dead, as a daughter of the Keeper commanded. Be claimed by night, never surface, return to her embrace, and judgment face."
"So have I spoken, Liantirie Levienna, and my words are true for I know the Seven Names of Death."

EchoMirage rolls 2d6 and gets 2,5. 7 riders are affected.
EchoMirage rolls 7d20 and gets 17,18,17,5,20,9,15. I guess 5 are turned? Feel free to pepper them now. I surely will.

The priestess drew her bow, and sent arrows towards those who would not flee.
Roll 2 shots from me when it's my turn again.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#129

A snap of the wrist, and a slug of lead flew towards the figures.

"Looking good..." said Valadaar as it whistled through the air

(15:53:41) valadaar: Bullet at undead:
(15:53:44) Minion: valadaar rolls 1d20 and gets 13.

(16:00:35) valadaar: Damage if hit
(16:00:38) Minion: valadaar rolls 1d4 and gets 2.

total 3 HP damage

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#130

"Priest-ess" came a deep, ragged voice, that sounded like the turning of crinkled pages from some ancient, fragile tome...

"The Reeve's justice hath..."

They wouldn't find out the rest...

As EchoMirage worded his harsh rebuke via his unassuming, pale, carrot-haired elven priestess, four riders rose up in their saddles, their mounts rearing silently, and turned away, quickly riding back along the length of the bridge, jostling each other, yet still eerily silent, but for the clack of hooves from their weird mounts.

The two riders still facing them, including the speaker, studied the priestess and the others for a moment, with their soulless black eyes, as if committing the whole group to memory, and then wordlessly turned their mounts as well, following the others.

But not before Echo fired two arrows at point blank range...

One arrow pierced each rider's breastplate and sunk deep (Ls rolled 17,16 for you). The original speaker grabbed the shaft and slowly pulled it out of his body, dropping the arrow onto the bridge. The second rider simply ignored the shaft sticking out from his chest.

"Fil-thy Priest-ess" Echo could make out the second rider's parched words, as they rode back across the stony span.

Meanwhile, Tusserk briefly cast his eyes away from the bizarre scene upon the bridge, only to notice that several serpentine shadows were approaching his form, beneath the water. They did not seem like simply curious fish...

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#131

Valadaar's sling stone missed its mark as he let loose, the stone flying past a rider harmlessly and bouncing off the bridge into the muddy water below.

The ebon riders retreated all the way to the top of the ridge, two hundred yards from the bridge, where they had first emerged from, and slowed their pace, slowly turning again. They idled as a group, and suddenly it seemed that more dark riders had joined them. Ten horsemen now formed their group. They did not advance anew, but merely studied their quarry from a distance.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#132

Silveressa held the torch at the ready as Echo spoke, standing at her side should the holy turning backfire, as the undead retreated she nodded slowly, her expression turning grim as Echo's arrows seemed to have minimal effect and more riders joined them. "Too many to fight, the tree lines about a mile away, head for it, when they move from the ridge to to cross I'll light the bridge, then run for it and catch up with you, might give us a few extra minutes. Once we get into the trees they won't be able to follow us on horse back, should slow them down."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#133

Twisting his body in the direction that riders were not heading in, Tusserk makes for the shore so he would not have to deal with the aquatic serpentine creatures. Pulling himself from the water his attention was fixated on the group of ‘people’ before him.

“Morning.” He spreads his hands to seem as passive as possible. “Lovely day for a swim.”

Turning his head to follow the majority of the group’s gaze, he noticed the larger gathering of riders.

“Your friends seem to have gotten reinforcements. It might not be wise to stay here much longer.”

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#134

Lucky kept himself in front of Silveressa as she stood with the torch readied, growling low and continuously as the undead approached, the reek of oil doing little to mask the stench of decay from the creatures.

He paused as they retreated, the unexpected emergence of the man from the river causing him to growl once more, but only briefly as he noticed the lack of death scent surrounding him, Silveressa's suggestion of retreat something he found himself mostly agreeing with, except for one small part... "Run with them Silveressa, leave the lit torch with me, I can hold it in my mouth and toss it into the oil when they approach, my running speed out paces all of you so I can catch up in no time."

He turned and looked at the new arrival once more, he seemed to be of no immediate threat, but his complete calm spoke of a seasoned warrior. "We are running to the tree line, come with us if you want, death waits near this bridge." He spoke in a deep voice that almost purred, realized afterward the sight of a talking Direwolf might just frighten this new comer back into the water.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#135

"Thank you" Echo sighed in relief as the dead turned tail, less so when more of them returned.
Carly's suggestion seemed much more reasonable now, especially as the dead knight seemed amused, but unimpressed by the two shafts in his torso.
"If they send me to Morena, I'll ask her to bestow arrows of undead-smiting upon her priestesses. It's hard to keep the law of "dead stays dead (unless special circumstances, see section 13.B.)" when you have no tools to do so."

"Long story short - I'll start running the moment you do. Fair is fair."
If the riders catch up, I'll stop for a turning. Better that I die than all of us.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#136

"I agree, lets go. Should have brought caltrops. Echo, skeletons take only half damage from edged weapons, hope that's it since we have a distinct lack of magic weapons..
You turned em, so that says they're not D&D'd nazgul or deathnights."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#137

Turning his head slightly at the mention of D&D, Nazguls, and Deathknights, Tusserk studied the people with a more critical eye as he took off for the trees. Skeletons… his spear would be nearly worthless to the undead, his fists would work much better except for the whole bit about them being attached to his body and having to close into hand-to-hand distance. “Less talk, more running. You do not want to be caught in the open when they charge.”

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#138

"What did those things want?" Dozus asked aloud. He turned to Echo - well, Liantirie, he supposed. "Were they talking about you?

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#139

The fogginess had begun to return, the uncertainty clouding his vision. For one moment, Mystic would see his friends, his real friends, just as they appeared around the table mere hours ago. In the next, that image would become something... something he couldn't concentrate too closely on without threatening to rip apart his fragile mind. He shook his head, trying to make the fog disperse.

"I... I don't know, Dozus. But it can't be good. Are they, like, bikers or something? Hopped up on meth or PCP? I swear Echo just shot them and they didn't even twitch."

Despite the other horrors battling in his mind, Mystic did find it exhilarating that he could suddenly run so easily without quickly losing breath.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#140

"I guess something like that - with all the black and skulls! Less talking, more running!"
*huff*
"Unless you want to carry my dainty frame."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#141

They quickly made for the tree-line across the otherwise featureless terrain, but not before Silveressa lit the stone bridge aflame with her torch. The oil slick erupted and the fire spread across the span, orange-green flames licking the skies.

Along with the group, the blonde-haired man ran with them. If proper introductions were in order, it was temporarily lost on the fleeing adventurers. The dire wolf's uh dire warning, to run with the pack or be cut down, registered on Tusserk however and he ran like the proverbial wind toward the trees.

At last they reached the sagging willows and white birches. Turning back they could see the bridge still alight, but already the flames were ebbing, having nothing to eat but the stone.

The ten undead riders had meanwhile once more reached the bridge, and were now waiting for the fire to die down. Wouldn't be long now.

Dozus was out of breath. Last time he ran a mile this fast was on the university track, and he didn't much like running even then. Sermulis jostled in Dozus' robe and squeaked uselessly.

Still looking at the bridge and the idling Reeve's Men, the group suddenly saw additional flames erupt from the oil-slick fire. Sparks, tiny balls of fire and thin jets of flame, exploding and shooting along the span. Strange.

With the latest pyrotechnics, it seemed the death riders had finally had enough. After a few moments of indecision, they turned their eerie horses toward the west and silently urged the mounts forward. Another bridge perhaps farther downstream?

The playing adventurers seemed safe. For now. As if on cue, a cold breeze blew. Rustling the leaves of the giant willow they currently sat beside.

Now what?

They were exhausted from lack of sleep, and cold...again. It was late morning but the sun gave off no warmth.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#142

Silveressa slowed her run once they were comfortably within the tree line, pausing to weigh their options and quietly grateful the mounted undead had ridden off. "Let's make camp near here and start a fire to get warm and pitch some tents, without rest we'll blunder into trouble." She cast about for an adequate clearing that would prove suitable, giving the drenched monk a worried look. "You should get out of those wet clothes before you freeze to death, I have some blankets you can use, or perhaps Val has a spare set of clothes for you to wear until yours dry?" She looked over at Val with a shrug, uncertain if he'd be willing to help the new arrival or not.

"Carly,- I mean Lucky," She corrected herself with shake of the head, "That's going to take some getting used to, anyway Lucky, could you maybe go on a short hunt for us? See if you can bring us back a deer or rabbit or something while we get the camp set? Fresh meat would be a welcome repast from iron rations." She reached over and removed his saddle bags, tossing them next to her backpack and taking a drink from her water skin. "We should also work out a guard rotation, just incase something wanders into our camp or those undead come back."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#143

Lucky nodded, feeling quite proud of himself after being trusted with the torching responsibility of the bridge while the rest fled, his tail still swaying in happiness despite his growing exhaustion. "I can see if there is anything to be found near by, and I will take first watch with you Silveressa if it is your desire, assign my hunt is fruitful we will have a fresh kill to prepare anyway." He offered, waiting to see if anyone else had anything to tell him before bounding off in search of game.

Not sure what I need to roll for hunting given I don't have any real skills so here's a couple rolls if the Gm needs any. Lady_Wolf rolls 1d20 and gets 8. Lady_Wolf rolls 1d100 and gets 41.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#144

Val laughed, "I barely have enough for myself, didn't plan on a winter expedition. GM was quiet on that. Most don't really bother with the weather overmuch anyway. Didn't think he had a copy of the Wilderness Survival Guide. That one's brutal."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#145

“Wood for a fire first, maybe a pit to put it in as well.” Tusserk quickly started gathering wood for a fire and setting up a small stack to be used before removing his clothes and setting them near the wood pile.

“The name is Tusserk and from some of your conversation I would say you are not from around here. While skeletons are known to most people, I highly doubt they make reference to D&D or Nazguls in this world. So most likely you are the group that was gaming next door to my friend’s apartment. The ones that fell silent just as the paramedics arrived.” Tusserk looked at each as he settled into a picture perfect lotus position without thought. Casting his gaze down to his leg with a slight frown at how his body moves without conscious thought, Tusserk continued.

“What happened and how did we get here? Why am I able to hold my breath for longer than normal? Why am I a good swimmer instead of a crappy swimmer? Why am I so damn flexible?”

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#146

If the professor had meant for this game to be "epic", it wasn't coming through...

The alternative being of course that the professor was no longer "dm'ing." What if this was just some nightmarish giant sandbox?

Which option was scarier?

Some time passed and it began to rain. A quick and sudden downpour. Once soaked, the cold really would begin to take its toll on them. The willows offered some protection, but not enough. The fire they had made, hissed itself out of existence. Just as they got it going...

Echo was quiet and in thought. He had just "turned" unnatural creatures from the grave. A moment of introspection could be expected.

Sil seemed to be in her element, commandeering the crew and the moment. Well, someone had to.

Tusserk made his introduction, then grunted with disgust at the rain. His clothes would never be dry...

God's honest truth, Mystic just really really really wanted to bash something or otherwise exhibit his amazing strength and physical prowess. Some un-undead enemies would be swell...

Val was busy accessing the players hand book and dungeon master's guide, inside his mind's labyrinth. It was better than mentally leafing through the monster manual II or fiends folio at least.

Dozus was miserable. Physically and mentally. He was craving a Boston cream donut, and wishing for this madness to end. The stoat in his robe stunk of wet animal. Lovely.

Lucky bounded across the uninspiring terrain. About a mile east of where they camped beneath the willows, Lucky spotted a deer.

Unfortunately, this deer was already slain and gutted and riding atop a wagon, drawn by two horses...

The rider spotted the dire-wolf and paused, unsure of what to do. The horses tittered nervously.

"Shoo wolfy, shoo," he whispered weakly, though Lucky could hear him mutter even at this distance.

"Please gods, please let me reach home unharmed. I will never poach a deer again!"

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#147

Silveressa sighed as the sudden shower of rain extinguished the fire, puling the hood of her cloak over herself, "Someone grab me a couple sticks, we'll use a blanket to erect a lean to over the fire, it'll keep the rain from dousing it again and I can use a piece of one of these candles to reignite it, lovely thing about candles is they'll burn even when wet."

She gave the group her best calm and confident smile unwilling to let her inner emotions and worry show, in a survival situation morale was every bit as critical as food and shelter. "If anyone has an hard liquor a splash of it on the camp fire would be most appreciated." She added as an afterthought, keeping a close eye on Tusserk in the event he showed signs of hypothermia, his comment about being next door to them before arriving hear causing her to quirk an Elfen eye brow in surprise.

"Welcome to the party then, how we wound up here is open to debate, as well as where our Gamemaster is in this world, for now I'm just glad we weren't playing Bunnies and Burrows or Call of Cuthulhu." She grinned and focused on rekindling the fire as she spoke.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#148

Mystic shuffled over to Tusserk and awkwardly held out his hand.

"Hi, Tusserk. I'm Mystic. I... uh, I'm not really sure what happened. It's all so... so.. fuzzy. Something's happened to me too. I could never do this stuff before..."

With that Mystic reached up and grabbed a branch above and did a couple of quick pullups. Then he dropped down and sheepishly shuffled dirt with his toe.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#149

Lucky paused as the man spoke, realizing quickly he could leap onto the back of the wagon and be off with the kill before he did more than scream in surprise, the scent of the deer's blood awakening feral instincts within her before her intellect asserted itself.

He took a half step forward and rose his voice, "Hail and well met traveler, do not let my appearance frighten you, I am the victim of a unfortunate spell that backfired and poly-morphed me into this form, my companions dwell near by, all of them brave of heart, and generous with coin, if you would allow us to spend the afternoon in your barn or shed we would gladly compensate you for your kindness with coin or labor." He lowered his head in submission after he spoke, keeping his eyes carefully upon the man, if all else failed he could still grab the deer and be off, but he owed it to his friends to give diplomacy a try.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#150

If the man wasn't worried about a talking, giant wolf, he wasn't showing it.

"I--uh---I'm---well", he stopped talking realizing he must have temporarily lost his mind, addressing a dire-wolf, then, "Sure, yes, whatever you need." He then proceeded to untie the deer carcass, throw it off his wagon, and whipped the horses into a galloping frenzy, as quickly as possible.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#151

Mystic hopped to, grabbing sticks, helping Silveressa with the lean-to. For once in his life, it felt good to simply move. No clumsy stumbling, no struggling to pick things up or move them around. And the more he moved, the less fuzzy things seemed.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#152

Lucky resisted the urge to call after the man, realizing any further attempt at dialogue would only further terrify the simple peasant. With a wave of the tail he quickly gathered the deer corpse in his jaws and padded back towards camp, his head held high with pride and the hopes of warm praise from Silveressa and her friends.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#153

“A talking wolf, a female… elf. We just need a wizard to shoot the darkness with a magic missile and the party would be complete.” Tusserk shook the man’s hand with a nod.

“What we really need to figure out though are the rules of the game. Does this world follow the rules as set forth in the game book? If not, then how does it deviate from the rules? I assume the cleric turned the undead riders so that at least is still within the rules. If we can figure out the rules then we can figure out how break the rules. As much as I hate min-maxing games this seems like a damn good time to actually have a rules lawyer on hand.”

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#154

"My greatest worry is, if we die, do we get to roll up new characters?"
Echo looked over the adorned armor and the embroidered cloak, in tasteful black and silver. Yup, there was a skull, and another, and red roses.
Echo always had a soft spot for gothic girls, never imagined he would end up as one.
He also never imagined he would know so much of death.
Voices from the beyond whispered to the priestess in hushed tones, as if speaking from below lead coffin lids.
A perk of the job, apparently.
IQ check. (10:19:31) Minion: EchoMirage rolls 1d20 and gets 8. What do I know of death, anyway?

"While I appreciate your effort, Sil, this seems fruitless, trying to light a fire in this ceaseless rain; we will not dry anyway. Let's move, find a dwelling, any dwelling, and get invited inside. My padding is starting to moisten."
Echo briefly paused, looking at MysticMoon exercise. He'd always wanted muscles like those, just the will to power was lacking.
"Where was I? Yes, dwelling. Whatever Lucky finds, we can offer to share with the proprietor of said dwelling. I'll also be on the look-out for any game, and you do the same, Sil. Let's move out, before we drown in this rain."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#155

Valadaar had gone quiet. He always said once his feet were wet he was done and just wanted to go home.

His feet were wet.

"Yes, lets get moving. Lucky can find us easily enough."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#156

"Lucky went in search of game not lodgings," She reminded them with a sigh, "Assuming he finds something, do we really wish to haul a fresh kill around with us through the wilds while we look for what exactly? A hunting cabin in the forest? I mean I'm fine with moving on instead of setting up camp if that's what everyone wants, but the chances of finding lodging in the middle of the woods by randomly searching is on the slim side, and the more energy we burn the higher our chances of passing out from exhaustion and dying of exposure." She paused to weigh options as she finished with her last attempt to coax the fire to life.

"Dozus, Perhaps you can send your little friend up a near by tree to get the lay of the land? If he can spot smoke from a fire, or a road we'll have a direction to head in and better chance of finding somewhere dry then just aimlessly searching."

(Muro, am I having any success rekindling the flames or is it looking like a lost cause? Also is the quick downpour still continuing or has it passed?)

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#157

"I can do that!" Mystic shouted excitedly and launched himself up into the branches, grinning like a little child from the ease of it as he scrambled as high as the giant trees would allow.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#158

"Sorry Sil for wanting to run off, it's just that I'm a city person - I mean, Liantirie is, too, and despite all they say of Elves, I like the aesthetic aspect of trees and the occasional stroll of the woods, but their language, their intrinsic details and particularities, are foreign. Meaning, I am no forester, woodsman nor ranger in any meaning of these words. I *can* plant fruit trees, is all."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#159

MysticMoon scampered high up the tree, lifting himself with the strength of his ham-hock arms. He only paused once the upper branches began to bend from his weight. Despite the constant drizzle, visibility was pretty good, especially since the land in all directions was flat.

He looked to the east...

a road not far off, he could even make out Lucky returning with what looked like an already butchered deer. How thoughtful of the dire-wolf.

He looked to the west...

another road, this one winding along the river-bank. Some dolmens or other kind of stone structures, like giant cigars, dotted the landscape in this direction.

He looked to the north...

the river, and the direction they came from. No skeletal riders to be seen. That was good.

He looked to the south...

He could make out what looked like a small crofter's village, a few cottages, a wooden-beamed longhouse, some farm land...something looked off though. He couldn't place his finger on what it was.

And beyond that, far in the distance, he could make out what looked like a castle.

The fire does seem like a lost cause. The downpour however has tapered off into a steady drizzle.

Re: What you know of Death, Echo, good question. Let me ponder that a bit.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#160

Mystic climbed back down, feeling a certain unfamiliar ease in the movements. So this is what it's like not being so clumsy all the time. No wonder I never did this stuff before; it was never this much fun!

"Ok, guys, it looks like Lucky found us a deer. She's... umm... he's bringing it back from that way. I don't think I've really had venison before. Does anyone know how to prepare that?

"Oh, yeah, and there's a bunch of standing stones and stuff off that way. Did we end up in England somehow? It'd be really cool to go check those things out. I've always wanted to see real ones.

"No one seems to be following us from the river, so there's that.

"And I saw a small town off that way, but it looks kinda wrong, like something happened there. There's a... well, a person or something there that looked... I dunno, just, it was hard to focus on it, but I don't think he should exist. And he's right in the middle of that town.

"Out beyond the village is a real, honest-to-god castle."