Chapter 1: The Knaves Visit the Spudfields

Clomm's necromantic magics swirl around the fiend, rattling its bones, loosening its teeth, pulling at the wisps of its hair and beard, dimming the sinister light that burns in it eye sockets. This brings a seething hiss from the former warlord, but seems to do no lasting damage. On the heels of that, down comes Endrei's hammer, and it looks it be a mighty blow -- but the two-handed sword rises expertly to meet the adventurer's hammer, deflecting it with a ringing sound that reverberates throughout the chamber.

And then finally -- finally -- Audree steps in with her axe, and lands a solid blow! The monster is focused on Endrei and has its back to her, so the bit of her weapon bites deeply into the thing's back... and it takes some effort to pull it out. Terrifyingly, the ancient warrior does not so much as flinch. Did she wound it at all? It's difficult to know as it roars in the crypt, its hoary breath chilling the air as it howls about the fate of its brother, who still lies on the ground, broken but crawling and weakly grasping.

The thing that once answered to the name Gheorj glares at Clomm -- Clomm and his brightly glowing, infant-headed staff. To reach the whelp is no small thing -- the crypt fiend is trapped between the damp wall on one side and his brother's decrepit stone sarcophagus on the other. To his front, the largest of the intruders, wielding a mighty hammer. At his back, some gnat biting at him, a pest, an annoyance. His dread course is clear: cut down the man with the maul, then move to slay the feeble wizard who barely knows how to control the might of the artifact he holds.

"Diiiiiiie!" the monster whispers darkly as it brings up its zweihänder, the weapon that ended Elius Wax in one brutal blow.

Endrei can see it coming -- but can he avoid or defend the strike?!

The two-handed blade scrapes the wall on the way down, lighting the room with a shower of bright sparks as Endrei narrowly avoids an almost certain death!

A sound reverberates in the underground chamber then, distant but distinct. It's undoubtedly a dog's bark -- a large dog's bark, based on the deepness of the note...

Audree strikes another solid blow to the cold, vile thing looming in front of her -- looming and all but ignoring her as it focuses on her companion with the staff, and on Endrei who still blocks its way. That staff suddenly keens and wails as Clomm rushes back into the fray, charging past Watters, leveling his weapon like a spear. The undead warlord turns towards him at the last second and the jab isn't the final blow Clomm is hoping for... but it affects the evil creature powerfully. Rusted armor, dank, putrid flesh and gleaming bone all part and slough off before the screeching infant's head. The staff might as well be a red-hot blade, and the wight's body made of lard for the effect it has, and this elicits an ear-splitting roar of agony from the thing.

Behind it, Endrei is wide-eyed, his sledge heavy in his hands...