The Rune Stone

Preparations

The group headed for the side of the church where they were met by a handful of militia fighters armed with nothing but bows and no armor on  their backs. They were all busy as bees, crafting arrows or practicing with the bows under the guidance of an middle-aged man with braided hair and beard.

"--Tell them to maintain watch. I don't want a surprise attack by sun down." they would catch him saying towards another younger man who was dismissed as soon as they approached. "So you are the ones who are here to help us then ? Word traveled fast. Name's Murdock, mayor of what's left of this sorry town -- providing we are not all killed off and dragged to the castle tonight." he'd say in a gruff voice. "Aye. We are here to help. You may call me Kralich. How's morale ?" asked the mage approaching even closer. "Morale's about what you'd expect. These men aren't soldiers. They're civilians defending their homes. And they are frightened. It doesn't help that we don't have decent equipment. There weren't enough swords in blacksmith's shop. And the men's armor, those of them who have it in the first place is falling off of them at this point, after all the fighting." he'd pause taking a deep breath. "Frankly, I just hope I am alive by tomorrow mornin'. The odds aren't looking good however." he finished. "Why aren't you having them repaired then ? Has this blacksmith perished already ?" asked Torstein. "No.But he is a stubborn fool who refuses to even talk to us. If we are to make it through the night we'll need that bastard's help." replied the mayor. "Why ain't he helpin' then ?" continued Torstein. "His daughter, Valena, she's one of the maids in the castle. So he hasn't heard from her ever since this nasty business has started. He demanded we attack the castle, force our way in. I said it would be impossible, but he wouldn't listen. So, he has locked himself in the smithy. Can't force him to do repairs, he sais he'd rather die first. " "Nobody else can do the repairs ?" asked Kralich furrowing his brows. "Not by nightfall, and not well enough that I'd be happy to test it in combat against those things. If there were others don't you think I would have asked them ? Most are dead." answered Murdock in a cold tone. "I'll see what I can do with the old fart then." said Torstein before he got pointed towards the smithy by the mayor. 

Upon approaching the door of the blacksmith, Torstein was met with a locked sound as he pressed the handle, followed by the muffled and slurred voice of a man. "Go away ! Curse you all, just leave me be ! You already took everything out of  my stores. There's nothin' left for you." "I know friend, but I am not one of the villagers. I'd like to speak with you." answered Torstein. "Hm ? Oh, Alright, alright. Speak up then." "I'd rather not do it through a closed door if you don't mind." continued the barbarian. "Oh. Right. Let me undo the locks, all I ask is that you cause no trouble." said the smith.

After a series of locks being opened, the squeak of the door prying open allowed the barbarian to be met by a poignant smell of alcohol, strong one too. "Whoa. Smells like someone set a brewery on fire in here." said Torstein as he stepped in to meet the old smith. He was a sad sight, his eyes were blood-shot from crying and his hair was slimy and unwashed. "So you wanted to talk. Now we are talking. Mind telling me who you are ?" said the smith, ignoring the barbarian's remark. "Call me Torstein. I am here to help out against the dead." responded the barbarian, stepping closer. "And I am Owen... though you might already know that, since you are here. Care to join me as I get besotted ? Or are you here to try and convince me like the rest of them." said the smith. "The milita still need your help. You are their only hope." "Why should I help the mayor and his men, if they won't help me, hmm ? My girl Valena is trapped up there in the castle and we will send nobody for her ! She's been my life ever since me wife passed. Now she too is dead or about to be. I don't care what hapenns anymore. To me, or the town, or anyone."

Torstein took a deep breath, sitting down next to the hearth of the smithy. "I was like you once, you know ? Everyone I knew died, because I was a coward. I regretted it ever since. Trust me friend, it is not a fate you want to share, it's usually us cowards who make it out alive. But you still have a change, you can still work to save her, you don't have to give up." "So you plan to rescue us, that it ?" retorded Owen. "I certainly inted to. And it would be a lot easier and likely if you helped. If your dauther is still alive, it would be better for her to return to an alive father." said the barbarian, getting up with some difficulty as he grabbed at his wounded leg before extending a hand towards the smith for him to shake. "Huh. Perhaps it's the drink talking, but tell you what. If you want me to do the repairs for the militia and the mayor, you have to promise, swear to me, that you will go into the castle and look for my Valena." said the blacksmith approaching the barbarian. "I promise you, on the name of my falled clan. I'll look for her and bring her back to you." said Torstein looking the smith straight into the eyes with genuine conviction. "Right, then. I believe you. I suppose I should re-light the forge now. Get to work, daylight is burnin'... Bah ! Murdock better send his men here as soon as possible if he wants everything done by night fall." ended Owen as he shooed the barbarian out of his shop.

Outside, Torstein bumped into both Kralich and Nicholas who must have been eavesdropping on his converstation at the door. "Well, well, well. That ain't too nice of you two. I expected it from Nicholas. But you mister Darkmane..." said the barbarian with a slight chuckle, making the mage frown. "Hmpfh ! You should have consulted with me before agreeing to help that drunken fool anyway. Now we'll have that extra thing to deal with." he replied in a defensive tone. After informing the mayor of what transpired, the sound of the bellows and of a hammer striking metal resonated through the whole main square, filling all the members of the militia with vigor, all of whom now seemed taller and prouder in their walk towards the smith shop to get fitted.

On the way to their next stop, at the windmill, the group passed by a door closing right as they passed by it. On closer inspection it looked rather reinforced and the lock on it recently repaired. Not being able to help himself, Nicholas knocked on the door. "Hello ?! Who's in there ? You should all be in the church. It's dangerous out here." he'd say. "What the hell are you doing Nicholas ?! We have a job to do ! We can't baby sit all the villagers." said Kralich visibly upset by this. "Well, it's our job to help the town, innit." the rogue would reply as busted the door open, prompting the barbarian to chuckle and the mage to groan "Great..."

Inside they were met by a dwarf clad in chain and leather armor, flanked by two human mercenaries with face tattoo's. "Wonderful. Hope you have a great reason for breaking into my shop." opened the angrered dwarf, crossing his arms over his bushy read beard. "I apologize, but we saw you close the door and not answering, you should be with the rest of the town's folk in the church. I am Nicholas." said Nicholas, stepping forward. "Apology accepted. I am Dwyn. Please to meet you. Now get out." replied the dwarf. "Wait. What were you even doing shut off in here ?" pressed the rogue further. "Surviving. We have enough supplies to last quite some time, and my boys and I can swing a weapon better than those fools outside. " said Dwyn. Nicholas blinked twice. "But, you'll die in here just as easily. Wouldn't it be better if you helped out ?" "Thanks. But I'll take my chances in here. Everyone else can run around in the open, waiting to die." replied the dwarf, not budging. "Oh. I see. Couldn't I persuade you to help out ?" said Nicholas gently touching his coin purse. "Oh, finally somebody in this hole speaks Dwarven. Let's hear what you got." Nicholas would take out one of the golden chains and a jeweled ring he got from the barrow before adding: "I could also put in a good word for you with lord's borther. He's in charge of the defence. He sure would be greatful for any help." The dwarf snatched both ring and chain, inspecting them closely before speaking up again. "Hmpf. You might just be able to pull that off. Fine. I'll throw my lot in with the militia. For now." he'd say, leading himself and the company outside before locking up and parting ways as he joined the militia in the square.

Afterwards, on the way to the windmill, Nicholas offered Kralich a s**t eating grin all the way up, managing to eventually get a reaction out of the mage. "You got lucky. Can't tell when the last time when somebody barged into a house went so well." "Oh, magey, magey, magey. I can surely can." would reply the rogue with a chuckle. 

Ser Perth and his kinghts were the first line of defence against the attack, they were busy raising barricades out of whatever they could find by the bridge that lead into town, right next to the one that lead to the castle. They were strong and tall men, clad in full plate armor with proper shield and swords. Out of everyone else, they looked properly prepared to face whatever would come through that bridge. "Greetings, you must be the help the lord's brother told us about. I must say, I am as relieved to see you as he is. But, I must confess that I do not know how to adress you all." would say the tallest of the knights as he approached, his long red hair flowing by his shoulders. "I am Kralich, and these are Torstein and Nicholas." would reply the mage with a gracious bow. "And I am sir Perth, until recently in the service of the Lord of Redcliff. Would have me and my brothers not been sent away by the lady days prior, perhaps I would have been able to fend off this evil before it spread out so much... or perhaps I would be dead." replied the knight after returning the bow. Kralich would raise a brow. "Why exactly has the lady sent you away, right before the attacks started ?" "The lord has been seek for many weeks, she summoned all the knights to go search for a cure to his ailment, so we answered and spread out in search of this miracle. A rumor of healing ashes from a dead saint. The only reason I am back is that I was nearby when I heard the news of the attack, so I recalled those few knights that were a day or two's journey away back here to help defend the town. But many more are still searching, and will be some time before they return I am afraid." responded the knight. The mage furrowed his brows deeply but pressed no further, the immidiate threath were the undead. "I see, then, is there anything we can do to help against tonight ?" asked the mage. "My men and I have sufficient weapons and armor. But we are too few to stand alone against the uncoming tide of darkness. Perhaps you could approach the revered mother Hannah, in the church for some sort of holy protection against these creatures ? Otherwise I do not know what you could do, aside from offering your own assistance in combat with us here." replied the knight.

Kralich then instructed Nicholas to go speak with the mother of the chantry while Torstein was ordered to go around the deserted houses and look for anything that might be of use while he prepared some runes for the uncoming battle. It was going to be a night to remember...