The trail was easily followed until the rain began to fall. The dense rain forest with its multiple layers of tree canopies and the intensifying storm made it increasingly difficult to follow the trail. There was the occasional close call with an alligator or displacer beast, but the night was coming on and the weather was turning more foul as the sun sank.

After a time they wondered upon a hunting cabin. It was simple affair; four walls of very crude planks, a hide cover for a door, two odd shaped openings for windows, and a leaky roof of similar crude planks. It was large enough for them all with their horses with room to spare but held only two things of note; several corpses of Orcs and Men in chain shirts and bandages sitting in drying pools of their own blood and shelves holding traps, bags, ropes, firewood, and other such things that hunter's would use while working from the cabin.

Yprish peered into the cabin seeing the carnage and let out an extended, "Well, sheeeeeeit. Let's hope it ain't catchin."

He'd left his horse at the hitching post outside while they took a look on the inside, and threw the gear he'd taken off the saddle on the floor inside the door, pausing only to light a torch.

In the glimmering firelight and the dimming light of the overcast sky, Yprish examined the dead bodies: how they'd died, how long they've been dead, and for any peculiar signs that would help them know who'd slain them.

---

OOC:
22:59, Today: Yprish rolled 21 using 1d20+1.  Medicine - corpses.

The corpses where recent, dead in the last day, likely in the last half day. Their wounds made him think that the warriors had been killed while in the pursuit of the Drow, not injured assaulting the camp. They wouldn't have been able to keep up. The bandages were tailored, not simple makeshift strips of cloth, but folded and stitched rags designed to hold ointments and herbs to treat injuries. Town bought, no less, so these people were more than mere raiders or bandits.

Vogryn scans over the scene, taking in the numbers of fallen.  Then searches among them for any weapons.

In reply to Vogryn (msg # 151):

"What did you find?" Malcolm looked around from his current position. "Let me know if anyone needs anything. I'm here to help."

"T'weren't no random meetin in the woods fer this here drow princess. These fellas look like pros. Standard issue sorta stuff, know what I mean?"

Standing up Yprish looked around the cabin. "They used this place as a hospital fer the ones what couldn't keep going. Strange they all died... If you weren't worried 'bout poison afore, then reckon you could start now..."

"I'm more inclined to think the men were here wounded and the orcs came in and killed them. Taking some casualties in the process."

"It's all conjecture though. All we know is they're dead...and we need to set a good watch so we don't join them."

"Are we staying here to continuing?" Malcolm asked, "I think that we can keep moving. The day is still young."

"Well, maybe they had it comin," Yprish concludes in response to Samuel. "Still, this weren't no bunch of bandits..."

He stood up to take a look out the window. "I ain't gonna sneeze at a roof over my head durin' a blow. How long you reckon it'll be afore the skies open up?"

---

OOC:
16:38, Today: Yprish rolled 18 using 1d20+3.  Survival - weather forecast.

16:40, Today: Yprish rolled 20 using 1d20+1.  Perception.

Yrpish looked out the door, surprised at the lack of visibility. The storm would blow on for some time, likely all night long. He was about to turn back into the shack when he noticed the sound of stomping feet nearing from the south side of the old place. From the marsh itself. It was the sound plodding, the plodding of many feet.

Malcolm hunched down when he heard the sloshing of feet. "Hush." He waved his hand in a downward motion. He pointed to where he heard the sound. "Someone is outside. More than a few."

Yprish stifled a curse, then said, "Shoot... they's gonna mark us for havin' killed these fellas! Might be better goin out in the open." He shrugged. "Make it easier to run..."

"Calm down. A friend once told me that running in a swamp during a storm is foolish."

"I'll go see who it is. If they try to murder me we'll fight them and if they don't I'll invite them to share this shelter until the storm is over."


He walked to the door and made to look outside, being sure to give everyone time to get ready in case there was a fight.

16:38, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 9 using 2d20+4, dropping the highest dice only.  Wis(Insight).

16:38, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 13 using 1d20+6.  Wis(Perception).

Brother Samuel walked out onto the porch. The storm's ferocity soaked him with windswept rains despite the roof. He could just make out the sound of slogging foot steps. Stepping closer to face into the storm's bite, he could just make out the shape of eight, ten, maybe a dozen figures shuffling through the storm. They were headed towards the cabin in a loose cluster, fighting the storm's fury, but he was unable to make out any real characteristics of these people.

Malcolm watched Brother Samuel from the doorway. He hushed the others so that he could hear the exchange.

The words Brother Samuel spoke seemed almost lost to the winds. But, there was a reaction to them. Slowly, almost as if by some ill will, the footsteps subtly changed and began moving directly towards the war cleric. A moment later the first of the figures could be seen with some clarity. They were partially skeletal, long dead warriors. Human, Elf, Dwarf, others as well.

And they were now moving directly towards the cabin. They were armed, some of them, with old weapons. A several wore rotting armor. None possessed even a glimpse of hesitation. Nor a bit of fear.

"Aw, hells naw..." said the halforc. "I don't care for rain, but damned if I like that sight any better!"

He looked around the cabin to see how well it could be boarded up in a hurry, if it came to that.

The cabin was crude, solid, but crude. It lacked doors and shutters. But there were shelves and a few chairs with a single table. It occurred to Yrpish there was little in the way of barricading materials.

Malcolm stepped away from the door. Brother Samuel was still outside. "Get to cover. You'll get torn apart!" He hastily cast a spell on himself, [Language unknown: Eveen Nastca]

---

Cast Mage Armor AC: 15

"Shit... shit..." Yprish started repeating in a low undertone. "Surrounded out there or in here?"

When he looked down at the corpses of the fallen soldiers he had a horrible feeling... "An what if these here decide to join in on all the fun? This no place to be, yer lordyship."

He stepped outside next to Samuel. "We gotta skedaddle, rain or no rain!"

The leading undead shuffled closer, there skeletal forms partially clad in ruined armor and adorned with poorly aged weapons. Acting with casual violence, the leading skeletal warriors began to hurl old spears at those at the door of the cabin. Several hit the structure and fell to pieces, a pair stuck in the wall deep enough to have killed. And a third went sailing through the doorway past everyone to sail out of a nearby window into the storm again.

"The Restless Dead are my responsibility. I won't fault you if you fall back friend but for my part I WILL FIGHT!"

With that declaration he sent his hammer whirling into the undead attackers!


15:01, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 19 using 1d20+6.  To Hit w/ Warhammer.
15:02, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 7,3 using 1d8+4,1d4 with rolls of 3,3.
Likely a hit for 10 dmg.

15:03, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 21 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 15.  To Hit w/ Warhammer (War Priest).
15:02, Today: Brother Samuel rolled 7,1 using 1d8+4,1d4 with rolls of 3,1.  Dmg w/ Warhammer (War Priest).
Also likely a hit for 8 dmg.

Bearing the storm, Brother Samuel strode into the enemy delivering powerful blow into the skull a skeletal warrior as it ascended the step-up onto the cabin's porch. With a battle cry and short advance the cleric swung his weapon and short, flat arc striking the nest skeletal warrior to approach the porch in the side of its neck sending vertebrata tumbling.

Vogryn comes charging from the shelter, hearing the call of restless dead.  U slinging his great hammer, and swinging it at the nearest walking corpse.  Unfortunately some tree branches catch it and throw off his aim, causing it to sail harmlessly past the undead.  He brings it around again, ready to continue this fight, positioned to guard the door.