First Steps Among the Zombies of Deathknell
A short day in Deathknell: a dozen shambling dead put down, a sealed scroll delivered to the rogue trainer, and new tasks waiting.
The Road
Midday light, such as it is, hung over Deathknell in the Tirisfal Glades, and that was where the whole of my day was spent. I did not wander far.
Battles
The dead came at me in ones and twos, and I met them with my blades. By day's end I had put down twelve of them in all: seven Wretched Zombies, four Mindless Zombies, and a single Rattlecage Skeleton. The first handful fell early in the day, and the rest came after I had returned from speaking with Sarvis. My arm learned something in the work: my skill with daggers grew sharper, and earlier, my defense improved a little as well.
Deeds
Shadow Priest Sarvis was pleased enough with my work against the zombies. I finished "The Mindless Ones" for him, and he said it was unfortunate the Scourge could not be brought into the fold, since their numbers would be useful, but that they would not join us and so we must destroy them.
He gave me two more tasks. The first is "Rattling the Rattlecages": I am to kill twelve Rattlecage Skeletons, which he calls a tougher foe than the zombies, and then return to him. The second was a sealed scroll that had arrived for me, bearing the seal of the rogue trainer David Trias. I read it and took it to him in the inn, and so finished "Encrypted Scroll." Trias said he spends most of his time there watching for new faces and up-and-coming prospects. If I keep my nose clean, he will teach me a few things, and I may come back whenever I wish.
Novice Elreth also asked something of me, a task called "The Damned." She tends the wounded and sews armor, and she will find me armor if I bring her six Scavenger Paws and six Duskbat Wings, which I will find to the south among the wolves and bats. I have not begun it.
Fellowship
Sarvis greeted me as a rogue and spoke of how no other people has suffered as much as ours, and how laughing in the face of death has become second nature to us. Trias, for his part, welcomed me with talk of the Deathstalkers growing in number by the sanction of Lord Varimathras, more blades to strike at our enemies when they least expect it. I liked the sound of that.
Growth
I felt a new strength settle into me early in the day, a mastery that was not there before. My defense rose to 5, and in the afternoon my skill with daggers rose to 10.