First Steps Among the Deathknell Dead
A short day in Deathknell: a dozen of the mindless dead cut down, a sealed scroll read, and three new requests waiting.
The Road
Deathknell, in the Tirisfal Glades, was where the day began and ended. It was midday there both times I came to, and I never strayed far from the little settlement.
Battles
Twelve of the shambling dead fell to me today: seven Wretched Zombies, four Mindless Zombies and one Rattlecage Skeleton. The zombies came first, a few at a time. Later I met the skeleton, and the rest of my work with the blade went the same way. My defense against their blows grew a little surer along the way.
Deeds
Shadow Priest Sarvis greeted me with a grim comfort: no other people have suffered as much as ours, and laughing in the face of death has become second nature to us. I finished The Mindless Ones for him. He admitted it was unfortunate that the Scourge could not be brought into the fold, since their numbers would be useful, but "we have no choice but to destroy them."
He gave me two more requests. The first is Rattling the Rattlecages, which sends me against twelve of the skeletons. He called them a tougher foe than the zombies, and wants me to prove myself under pressure. The second was an encrypted scroll that arrived while I was out, bearing the seal of the rogue trainer David Trias. I read it and went to find him in the inn. That finished Encrypted Scroll.
Novice Elreth also asked something of me in The Damned. She is short of paws and wings, and wants six Scavenger Paws and six Duskbat Wings. In return she will find me armor. She said I'd find wolves and bats to the south.
Fellowship
David Trias welcomed me at the inn, where he spends most of his time watching for new faces and sizing up prospects. He said the Deathstalkers' numbers grow, with more blades to strike when our enemies least expect it. If I keep my nose clean, he'll teach me a few things, and I may come back whenever I want to see whether I'm ready for a new skill or two.
Growth
A new strength settled into me early in the day, and I stopped a moment to take it in. Later my skill with daggers rose, which pleased me most.