Chapter 2: The Creepy Forest

"Huh?" The rascal looks up at the tree, then down at the mirror image of the hanging noble, if that's what these were.

"I've never seen the like," he says as observes the mist rolling in and looks toward the band of armed skeletons, then back at the twins.

"Why are there two of you? What's the meaning of all this? I suppose you'll be wanting your hat back?"

Xaka turns around and calls back (unconcerned for any stealth), "It says, 'His crime is greed!'

She checks her spear glow indication, but does not touch the body. "It's been hear a while, I'm surprised the neck hasn't rotted apart yet."

When the skeletons appear, Xaka is ready to charge, but his words tell her there is some mystery. Still, she readies herself to intercept the bony dead.

"Oh, but you must have heard stories about this kind of thing?" Belvedere asks, incredulous at the rascal.

"We aren’t standing upon a crossroads, are we?" he says, looking about, as if to double check!

"It is marvelous, but nothing a skald such as myself hasn’t heard tell of in many a tavern across the land. Now, give me but a moment to recall the details. There was wine involved, you see!"

"Greed! Yes! I remember now! I heard something about a tax collector of the King's disappearing in the Barony, but I don't know anything more. The crime ... greed ... jogged my memory, you see."

Gazing at the lords, then at Belvedere, Grimbly adds, "Now Belvedere, no need to get snippy."

Kendral notes Grimbly's recollection and is thankful for his insight. Hoping Belvedere recalls more but thinking it prudent to seize the opportunity to question this undead noble tax collector, he addresses young man. "From your account I understand why your guards linger by your body, my lord, and I truly appreciate that you keep them a bay, but why do you yourself linger here?"

He holds up his hand and flitters it a bit. In response the dead soldiers step back a few paces and sheath their weapons. He then gestures towards the hanging body
"I was murdered; there was no trial. My need for Justice keeps me here, Travelers."
He looks a bit thoughtful as he speaks
"I have a proposition for you. A very simple favor in which you will be handsomely compensated. Are you interested? Will you at least hear my proposal?"
Although he is proud there is a hint of pleading in his voice

"I will listen to your proposal as there is no harm in it." Grimbly notes the pleading tone and decides that will help in negotiating their rewards.

Xaka crosses her arms, which is hard with a spear but she is determined. She mutters, "Speaking with the dead. This can't be lucky," but doesn't interfere.

"But the crime of greed…" Belvedere speaks, interrupting any proposition for a moment. "What did your murderers mean by that? Was something amiss, or were they one of those dreadful clans who believe that the King’s taxation constitutes theft? A troublesome sort."

Clans that Belvedere could sympathize with, in truth. What man didn’t enjoy a few extra coins in his pocket? After all, it was him, and not the King, that had played the lyre that had earned the coin…

Compelled to tell the truth the Dead Lord answers the charge "It is true, I am guilty of defalcation but.." His index pointed upwards for emphasis "I never cheated My Sovereign of what he was owed, unlike my murderers whom I am sure find ways of penny pinching and cheating the Court of its dues!" The dead may tell the truth but are still subject to bias. "I cannot prove it but I'd wager the thugs that hung me here were working on the behalf of the Gentry Club."This said with intensity.

"No sense in dragging you into all this political mess."calming a bit."What I ask of you is simple. Swear by the Exalted One that you will get word to His Majesty the location and condition of my body and in return I will tell you where I hid my Lock-Box."

"What exactly is in your lockbox, for this is very relevant information, is it not? Then we could decide whether delivering your location to the King is worthwhile. What would you offer as proof that what you say resides in the box, truly does?"

Grimbly did not trust the dead lord, not even a little bit.

The spectral lord explains what the lock-box is (see note)

"You may check the box first. If there is not enough coin in it to make you a wealthy person then you're not obliged to keep your end of the bargain. You will find a key in a hidden pocket within my robe." He gestures towards his hanging body.

"Now, I know you have other priorities. So, if you can send word to the King of my demise and my body's location before the first snowfall, then you will have completed your part of our pact. So..."His gaze lingers a bit on each of you "are you ready to take the Oath? As soon as you all agree, then we will recite the words of the bond together and I'll reveal the box's hidden location."

Kendral is very apprehensive to take such an oath and hastily enact a ritual bond with an undead lord. He looks around at his companions faces to gauge their feelings on the matter. Also Kendral is fearful that the wrong answer to this lord may result in his skeletal minions advancing on them. Kendral decides to bide time by inquiring about information regarding the job they have already have from the Baron.

"Speaking of other priorities, much could happen between now and first snow, and should we take on this responsibility you present us, we would want to be able to see it through. Tell me, my lord, do you know of the Castle of the Fallen Countess and what lurks there?"

"We may see the box first to satisfy our concerns; or we must swear the oath first to be shown the box?" Belvedere says, with an a-ha air, as if he had uncovered the lord’s ruse.

"Which is it, specter? And speak true, or the King will hear a great deal more than just the location of your resting place!"

In the pregnant silence, as the group awaits the spirit's response, a clinkity-clanking sound is heard coming from the path you've recently taken. It's faint at first, but growing louder, quickly followed by the tromping of fast falling feet getting ever nearer and nearer...

A moment later, a girl bursts into the clearing from the old road, red-faced and breathing heavily. Her face erupts into a bright smile as she sees you, then staggers to a halt in the middle of the clearing, hands on knees and panting. Without looking up, she waves a hand. "I'm ok.... Whew.... Boy, you made... good time.... I guess that's what...." This is followed by more heavy breathing and waving. "Experienced adventurers do, huh? But I guess... I made pretty good time too, since... I left a few hours after you."

She raises her head and gives a weak but warm smile, and you recognize her as Katie Ploshkin, one of the last people you'd expect to see in a place like this. Her dark hair is a muss, and she's still wearing her 'unique' hat (which she proudly informs whomever will listen that she designed and haberdashed herself), albeit more than a little askew. Her clothing and pack are similarly unusual, no doubt also Ploshkin originals, festooned with a myriad of pockets and pouches and buttons (many mismatched, and a few of them not seeming to serve any functional purpose).

After a moment or two, she stands up to her full 5 foot 2 and 1/4 inch height and dusts her hands off on her knees, surveying the scene. Her eyes travel from the standing spirit to the hanged body and back several times before she simply says, "Huh."

"We will check the box first and only then will we swear an oath. Do we seem buffoons to you? This is only fair to us and now I will take that key."

Grimbly approaches the spirit and the hanging body and realizes that he would probably need to sit atop the shoulders of one of the others to reach the pockets of the hanging body. As he looks to the others for help he sees Katie arrive, flustered and out of breath.

"What brings you here, Katie? Feeling adventurous are you?"

Xaka offers to shoulder the burden of Grimbly.

Seeing Katie she waves a little, glad another shorter person has joined them.

The familiar and the unfamiliar all come crashing together in a split second in Katie's mind, a cognitive dissonance making the gears turn at lightning speed, only to find they have no teeth to gain purchase. Quietly she murmurs, "Oh, this is interesting...." and edges towards the nearest familiar friendly face that is the farthest from the spirit, watching the unfolding dialog intensely.

It takes a moment for her to register Grimbly's query, but eventually it penetrates the veil of all the novelty and she comes to herself. She flashes Grimbly a mischevous grin and says quietly, eyes still glued to the proceedings, "I'm joining your relic hunting expedition. I spoke with the Baron, and after a bit of convincing - well, quite a lot really - he sent me along to join you. Lucky for me I know my way around the wilds in these parts, and that the 'ancient path' is still pretty clear. If you're looking for it," she adds with a bit of a wink.

Nodding to the hanging figure and then the spirit, she says somewhat rhetorically, "That's him, isn't it? Interesting...."

"Yes. Same guy. You’re just in time Katie, we haven’t even recited the words of a ritual oath bond with this undead lord yet or been properly introduced to his skeletal minions," says Kendral sarcastically as he stands next to Xaka ready to offer another shoulder and support arm for Grimbly’s brash inclination to get the key off the corpse.

He then whispers to Grimbly, "Grimbly, maybe we should let the lord tell us a bit more about the terms of this oath before we make any quick decisions. The key alone wouldn’t let us know of the lock-box’s location anyway."

"Oh, goodness. All that racket. Surely a skeletal horseman come to his Lord’s si…" Belvedere stops up short as he turns towards the sound and sees the young Ms. Ploshkin.

He makes a performance of harrumphing in the clearing at her arrival:

"There really is so much left to teach this one! You’ll all have to forgive me! If you are to be late…" he says, directing the words to Katie "… then I simply have to insist that you be fashionably late, yes? Like myself." he says, with a mischievous bow.

"I turned up in perfect, practiced lateness. Red cheeks and ready for business!"