Chapter 1: A Wizard's Amulet

The wizard merely shrugs. "I cannot rightfully say what lies within, for I do not know. That is why I have hired all of you." He looks at the group meekly, clearly aware that not all of you were the best or brightest to be found or hired. He appears to be telling the truth.

"But I, for one, am exhausted. I am not a well traveled man, and could do with a wagon. Tomorrow will be a long day, and so I suggest we rest."

"It would be a fool arcanist that left the dead to watch his tower." She toys with her holy symbol as she speaks. "Not with the agents of Law so near. I don’t think you have to fear for mummies and the like. They’ll surely employ other tricks against us."

Ryenne casts a hard eye over their wizard employer then. Surely, he knew something. He knew what he would prepare in a magical tower of his own, if nothing else…

"I’ll take the first watch. I have my duties to attend to anyway." she says then, standing and going to clutch up her mace, so as to watch over the group as they rest.

"Few things does a Dwarf prize as much as his beauty rest!"

Monaghan erupts in snorting laughter at his own mildly humorous comment. When he's caught his breath, he gets down to his skivvies, neatly folds his tunic and trousers, then wiggles into his bedroll before calling out to the general camp, "Dream of gold and adventure, my friends!"

He is asleep and snoring loudly before anyone has time to acknowledge him and reply.

Nebbleshuven gets to his feet. "I'll join you on watch, Ryenne."

Galdar yawns, and offers to join the third watch. Corian mutters something about his spellbook, but it is difficult to understand the man as he drifts off into sleep. Darkness falls, and the fire begins to die down. As the characters not standing watch drift off to sleep, a child’s voice can be heard, crying in the darkness. Nebbleshuven and Ryenne both hear this noise, and it seems to be coming from just inside the treeline outside of the camp.

Nebbleshuven feels compelled to act, but knows that it could be a trick. He turns to Ryenne for advice. In a hushed voice, he says, "Do you think that's really a child or some kind of trap?"

"Zzzzzznrrrrrk. Zzzzzzzzrmmmm. Zzzzzznrrrrrk."

Olaf is out cold, catching up on his sleep until the second watch he signed up for.

Ryenne gives the man a sideways glance, wondering why the question even needed asking.

"A sudden child, crying in the night just as our arms and armor have been stored, and our companions gone to rest? I didn’t hear a nearby camp while we ate, did you?"

She cocks an eye, as if to say ‘what do you think?…’

Still, the cleric stands, and grabs up her mace and shield. With a frustrated sigh, she calls out:

"Come on out. You can see the light, can’t you… child?!"

She raises her weapons, ready to swing, but assuming whatever vile creature was in the trees wouldn’t dare come in to the light.

The sound of crying pauses as if to listen, then resumes again. It does not seem to be any closer, but still just as distraught.

Nebbleshuven nods, embarrassed.

"Could the child be lost? Perhaps the child wandered off from a nearby village or farm." He still doesn't move from his position, even though the crying brings back painful memories.

Monaghan is only momentarily disturbed, but after some incoherent sleepy muttering, returns to blissfully snoring like honk-shoo, honk-shoo.

Ryenne sighs, and moves to her pack. She hoists her ringmail tunic on.

"You’re a good man, Nebbleshuven." she allows. Fixing herself finally, she hefts her mace and shield.

"Bring the light if you mean for us to check!" she says, walking towards the cry.

The gnome snorts loudly as the jingling of the chainmail disturbs her and mumbles in her sleep,

"mmm buhh urrrr dontforgettowakeyourallies"

Most likely the result of a terrible dream where she was ambushed in the night and was unable to act because she never woke up.

Nebbleshuven lights a torch from the fire and notices the gnome, remembers when her watch shift is, and prods her with his boot until she wakes up. "Hey, Ryenne and I hear what could be a crying child in the woods. It's probably a trap, but we're going to check it out."

He then catches up to Ryenne.

Rubbing her eyes vigorously, Datura watches the warrior run off into the darkness without really being sure what she was witnessing. She looks at the moon, decides it's not her shift yet, and plops back down onto her bed mat. Thankfully something in her fool head kicks in and with her eyes closed she loudly says

"Nebble just ran off into the night, someone better go get him."

With her watch next, Faionn has been trying not to fall asleep too heavily—merely napping. In her drowsy state, she hears Datura and imagines Nebbleshuven running into the cookpot of a brutish ogre.

With that, Faionn opens her eyes, shaking herself awake. "I've got it," she mumbles to Datura, watching the orange tongue of Nebble's torch bob away into the darkness.

Lighting a torch in the fire, Nebbleshuven leaves the fireside to investigate with Ryenne, when suddenly she (Ryenne) is attacked from the rear by a hideous stag-like creature with the head of a badger, large, yellowish-gray fangs and demonic red glowing eyes. The beast smells of rotting corpses. Twenty feet away is another, much larger than the first, crying in the voice that you thought was the child’s. You are stunned that such a beautiful and innocent sound could come from so demonic looking a beast.



Surprise Round

The creature snaps at Ryenne with its fearsome fangs, attacking viciously and, surprisingly, without confidence. The warrior-priestess fails to protect herself against such an attack, and finds the jaws tearing at her arm. The larger beast, still crying in its childlike voice, remains standing stoically and unmoving. It seems to be observing the assault with its glowing eyes.

First Round of Combat
Combat Order
Enemies
Party

Immediately after snapping at the priestess, the smaller creature twists around and kicks out with both hooved feet. Though Ryenne is able to avoid the brunt of the blow, the creature is able to launch off her chest and dart out of harms way. It stands about sixty feet away and prepares for another attack. Still the larger creature cries and stands motionless.

"Gah!" Ryenne screams, as the creature tears her flesh!

"Back to the camp, Nebbleshuven! Don’t let it draw you out! Back to the fires!"