Battles

It was a poor day for staying alive. Something unseen struck me down in Stranglethorn Vale, and again in Duskwood. Once more in Duskwood. Then twice more in quick succession at Raven Hill Cemetery and Raven Hill. Five times I fell into darkness in barely five minutes, and never once saw what did it.

The tallies show I did slay four creatures in all: two Cursed Darkhounds and two Greater Duskbats. After the first fall, a Spirit Healer met me and said it was not yet my time, and offered to aid my return for a price.

The day went badly in the wild places. In Stranglethorn Vale something unseen struck me down, and I fell into darkness. I woke as a spirit before the Spirit Healer, who said it was not yet my time and offered to aid my return for a price.

Duskwood was worse. Three times something unseen slew me there, and twice more near Raven Hill and its cemetery, so that five times in all the darkness took me. I never saw what killed me. Only a few foes fell to me by my own hand: two Cursed Darkhounds and two Greater Duskbats.

The record shows few fights. I put down two Cursed Darkhounds and two Greater Duskbats in all. The deaths are the larger tale. I fell five times: once in Stranglethorn Vale, then in Duskwood, again in Duskwood, and twice more at Raven Hill and its cemetery. Each time something unseen struck me down. In Stranglethorn Vale the Spirit Healer told me it was not yet my time, and offered to help me back for a price.

The day was mostly killing. In Deathknell I put down mindless zombies, wretched ones and rattlecage skeletons, a baker's dozen of the skeletons in all. In Night Web's Hollow I cut through sixteen Night Web Spiders and ten of their young. Southeast, I fought a dozen Scarlet Converts and a few Initiates, and at their camp I killed Meven Korgal, the messenger, who cried that the Crusade would not fail in its mission. Duskbats, scavengers, darkhounds and Rot Hide gnolls fell too, among them Maggot Eye near Garren's Haunt. A hundred and two foes in all. I did not fall.

The day's work was mostly the killing of the mindless and the hungry. By day's end I had put down sixteen Night Web Spiders and ten of the young ones, thirteen Rattlecage Skeletons, eight Mindless Zombies and eight Wretched Zombies. I also felled twelve Scarlet Converts and three Scarlet Initiates, six Mangy Duskbats, five Ragged Scavengers, two young ones, five Rot Hide Mongrels and three Decrepit Darkhounds.

I killed Meven Korgal, the Scarlet messenger, at the Crusader camp. He cried out that the Scarlet Crusade would not fail in its mission. Near Garren's Haunt the Rot Hide gnolls snarled that I was fresh meat, and I found Maggot Eye there as well.

The work was steady. The spiders of Night Web's Hollow fell by the score: sixteen Night Web Spiders and ten of the young ones. Thirteen Rattlecage Skeletons and sixteen zombies, eight Mindless and eight Wretched, died along the paths near Deathknell. Mangy Duskbats, Ragged Scavengers, Young Scavengers and a few Decrepit Darkhounds fell too.

South and east of Deathknell I met the Scarlet Crusade: twelve Converts and three Initiates. Their camp also held Meven Korgal, the messenger, who cried that the Crusade would not fail. He failed anyway. Near Garren's Haunt, five Rot Hide Mongrels met the same end. The gnolls snarled of fresh meat and bones to gnaw, and they got neither from me.

The day's tally ran past a hundred. In and around the spider-haunted hollow I cut down sixteen Night Web Spiders and ten of their young. Thirteen Rattlecage Skeletons fell to me, and sixteen zombies, eight Mindless and eight Wretched. A dozen Scarlet Converts and three Scarlet Initiates died, and six Mangy Duskbats. Five Rot Hide Mongrels went down near Garren's Haunt, where the gnolls snarled of fresh meat and bones to gnaw. A few scavengers and darkhounds finished the count. Meven Korgal, the Crusader messenger, cried out that his Crusade would not fail. I killed him anyway. Maggot Eye died as well, and I carried proof of it back to Brill.

No blow was struck today. Yet the task I carry away speaks of the fights to come: eight Mindless Zombies and eight Wretched Zombies, loose in the northern part of the village.