Evil Invaders

"Yeah! I only need a minute. I got my war paint on now. It even matches my hair, sorta." Pike makes a show of heaving his big slow body up into a standing position with only an occasional wince.

Ash warily catches the dead wizard's notebook and takes a look at the writing his small companion couldn't comprehend, to see if has better luck in understanding it.

I sure did and he was happy to have the help. Thanks!

Yes, the sword, too. It's lying on the ground beside him where he dropped it.

Strux is holding the ceremonial dagger in one hand and the mage's sword in the other, looking back and forth between the two.
"Shiny dagger... Shiny sword... What to keep, oh what to hold? Shiny is nice; sharing though, not a fan... Still..."

Strux tries to discern anything he can for the two weapons, trying to decide what to keep for himself.

The Notebook
The notebook is a necromantic journal, a study into raising the dead in mass. The notes include references to obscure tomes, formula copied from various sources, and notes on the results of the experiments Cinder conducted. At the end, the final sections contain a ritual designed to be carried out at the site of a massive grave.

In the foothills of the Calphatian Duchy, the disease killed hundreds, many locals buried side by side in honest plots, with the paupers and strangers in larger barrows. The necromantic pulse from the ritual described by Brytoff in The Veiled Way may be enough to awaken the larger of the plots, but from the writing of Nossolom, on a certain cosmic alignments, the barrier between worlds is sufficiently narrow as to raise an entire graveyard. The presence of magical accoutrements will amplify the effect further, according to traditional lore. By combining these elements during the anniversary of the middle of the plague deaths, and with necromantic runes bolstering a weaking of the veil, I believe that I can raise the entire mausoleum.

---

The dagger is ceremonial, more about style and look than actual utility. It isn't likely a very good combat knife, but it is fine and would sell for 20 to 50 gold. There is blood on it/

The sword is more serviceable, a working rapier of decent quality.

Whether or not either of the items have any intrinsic magic would require an appropriate examination.

Ash studies the necromancer's journal for a few minutes, then closes it and packs it away in his backpack. "Our erstwhile companion and slaughtered fiend was here to raise an army of the dead." He points toward the ceremonial blade Strux is holding. "He was going to use that ritual blade to enhance his magic and summon all the fallen in the mausoleum to his command."

"Let's be about our business here in this forsaken place, shall we?" Ash attempts to refocus the band, pointing the tip of his blade toward the large burial structure.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Pike says with a goofy expression on his face, raising his filth covered axe, stepping forth towards the structure.

"Aye" says Hermod and starts walking towards the tomb while pondering a latrine ethical question. Does the fact that a man wants to raise an army of the dead justify killing him? Yes. While he takes a shit? Hmm? Hermod is not sure. They could at least let him wipe.

You continue on through the graveyard toward the mausoleum. On the way, you see a few minor crypts. Minor, but still crypts, and if someone is willing to spend the coin to build a whole building for their dead buddy, maybe they stashed loot in there, too?



Or do you want to skip those little ones and head straight for where the real money was spent, the Duchy mausoleum proper?

Strux rubs his hands together for a moment; he raises his rapier-holding hand declaring: "Onwards then, for the shit-ton shinies await us to free them from captivity and spend them around!"
He then proceeds towards the crypt, hopping eagerly every other step.

Hermod is also ignoring the lesser tombs and heads for the large Mausoleum.

"Right behind ya Hermod! Let's get us some goodies!"

Swinging his arms and his axe in an arc above his head, he follows Hermod.

Strux and Hermod are heading for different locations. Strux wants to go to a crypt, and Hermod toward the mausoleum in the distance.

Viv gives a wild fiery look in the direction Strux, Hermod, and Pike are headed, then back to Ash. Showing teeth through a crooked smile, she shrugs and bounds off after them. Although she isn't beyond making a slight detour to plunder smaller death houses along the way, should one or two be close to her path before reaching the grand mausoleum.

Ash lops off the dead wizard's head.

Watching the rest of their wicked band loping ahead toward the big mausoleum, Ash follows along after them. He can't help but feel they are missing out by not plundering every crypt in sight. Maybe its the graverobber in him.