(005A) The Graveyard at Saint Olaf's Chapel

[bobk2323]

"Look, I hope you folk have some clerics among you, cause I fear you're going to find some undead in that graveyard." says Louis, "I stay out at night when abominations like that are active and it's scary enough during the day keeping the grounds cleared of long grasses and saplings. Me and the goats don't tarry there past dark, ever."

"I'm one," says Callista in her usual, almost emotionless tone of voice. "I'm a cleric."

--
Bob K.

[Eris]

The group trundles into the little hamlet and parks the cart. The horses are tethered to a rail and the locals and group chat a bit.

You are offered a supper by Karen, "It won't be much, just what we eat here. Fresh vegetables and a chicken stew."

Louis nods, but adds, "I reckon you will want to get to the graveyard before dark to size up the place. There are a few places you wan rest under cover to keep an eye on things. I did that a few months back, but just once, and then stayed away after dark."

"Things are not natural in there after dark and I can feel it during the day, too." he says, "I used to drive the sheep and goats in there to keep the grass and brush down, but they started going missing, so I investigated, see. What I saw wasn't natural and I got goose flesh all over my body."

"I've kept others out of there since, no sheep or goats either, but the brush hasn't taken over the yard in all that time." he shakes his head. You think, to yourselves, well, it was winter so, no their wouldn't have been much growth over the last few months.

"I'll walk you over and show you around when you're ready, but then I'm coming back and getting behind locked doors and windows like everyone else in our little town. After dark, no one goes abroad, not even to the privy. No person, no animal, no living thing. We hear things out there, but so far nothing has come over our wall or into our homes." Louis tells you.

[bruce.desertrat]

The group trundles into the little hamlet and parks the cart. The horses are tethered to a rail and the locals and group chat a bit.

You are offered a supper by Karen, "It won't be much, just what we eat here. Fresh vegetables and a chicken stew."

Valerin says "Thank you, ma'am. Good honest food sustains body and soul better than the finest gourmand's fare. " He grins ".. and much better than trail rations!"

Louis nods, but adds, "I reckon you will want to get to the graveyard before dark to size up the place. There are a few places you wan rest under cover to keep an eye on things. I did that a few months back, but just once, and then stayed away after dark."

"Things are not natural in there after dark and I can feel it during the day, too." he says, "I used to drive the sheep and goats in there to keep the grass and brush down, but they started going missing, so I investigated, see. What I saw wasn't natural and I got goose flesh all over my body."

"I've kept others out of there since, no sheep or goats either, but the brush hasn't taken over the yard in all that time." he shakes his head. You think, to yourselves, well, it was winter so, no their wouldn't have been much growth over the last few months.

"I'll walk you over and show you around when you're ready, but then I'm coming back and getting behind locked doors and windows like everyone else in our little town. After dark, no one goes abroad, not even to the privy. No person, no animal, no living thing. We hear things out there, but so far nothing has come over our wall or into our homes." Louis tells you.

Valerin says "We'll see. " He smiles a feral smile. "Cold iron may have a way of fixing that." He stands, checks his scimitar, shoulders his quiver and readies his bow. "Lets go look."

[Darithe]

Magdal thanks Karen for the unexpected fare. At first she had been suspicious of this group, but it was now clear they had no evil intent. But after the group is fed, it was time to work. She readied her bow and followed Valerin to the spot Karen indicated.

[joertexas]

Eodrien set a bolt in her heavy crossbow and followed the others.

[ateno]

Darrian leaves some of his chicken and leftovers for Kazan. Checks the brake of the cart and the oxen pulling it as set and eating and follows his friends in foot.

[terrymixon]

Magdal thanks Karen for the unexpected fare. At first she had been suspicious of this group, but it was now clear they had no evil intent. But after the group is fed, it was time to work. She readied her bow and followed Valerin to the spot Karen indicated.

Des followed.

[bobk2323]

Magdal for once is quiet, riding silently along, the sight of the people ahead make her pause. She didn't believe in ghosts but those folk ahead didn't seem like ghosts to her. She whispers in Naysayer's ears and watches Des start forward, Magdal's hand dropping to the riser of her bow.

As she often is, Callista silent as they walk, just quietly taking in what she sees and watching out for any potential threats.

--
Bob K.

[Eris]

As you leave the house you notice strings of garlic hanging from each of the doors and draped across tops of shutters that are being closed by the locals now entering their homes for the night, "Nothing has come inside our fence or into our homes and I think maybe the precautions we've take have helped."

He points to the garlic and to small pots along the walls and about the houses, "Holy water and garlic have been the trick so far."

Louis leads you out of the gates and across to the steps leading up to the old Chapel, "I think we should go through here on the way into the graveyard."

The Chapel sits facing south with its north and west backing into the graveyard. A stone wall runs around the Chapel and encloses the graveyard as well. Opening the doors to the chapel, Louis walks inside. It is dimly lighted inside with light streaming in through stained glass windows on the west side. There are rows of pews on either side of the central nave leading up to a raised dais where an altar of white stone is set. A font of black stone in front of the alter is filled with water that flows into it from a hole above it in the altar and slowly trickles over the front edge and down through a grate in the floor.

"Holy water." says Louis pointing to the basin with the water, "It trickles in and keeps the basin of the font filled. We take it for our use in the village, but there is enough so you can fill a few pots if you think you might need it tonight."

Louis leads you past the dais and through a door into the back of the chapel. A short corridor leads to what used to be the vestry on one side and on the other there is a door that opens into the graveyard.

Louis opens the door and steps out into the open area. He says, "This is the area where I still keep the grass down. I don't go over there into the mausoleums."

"The Sitchel Family built that big mausoleum way back before my grand dad was the grounds keeper here. The last of the Sitchel's was long dead before any of my folks were here. The Sitchel clan and their relatives are all back there." he says with a shudder, "That's where the trouble is."

The grounds out here are clear and clean. Gravestones stand proudly in the setting sun. Beyond the graves, though is an old low stone wall topped with iron spikes that hold in several mausoleums. It is dimly lighted back there with long shadows, and you can all *feel* an essence of evil wafting from the mist that is beginning to rise behind the rotting wall. This area, the far northern part of the graveyard, backs onto a tall cliff that makes up the southern edge of the Great Escarpment that runs for hundreds of miles north of the Elsmere. The Great Escarpment protected Elsburg and the lands along the Elsmere from the hordes of monsters that descended on these lands in an earlier age.

"That mausoleum in the center there." Louis points, "Is where the Sitchel's themselves are interred. I've never been in there, even when there was no funny stuff going on, as the door was sealed with lead all around it after the last of that family died. My Pa and his Pa before him just kept the grounds clean and the grasses down. Now...."

Louis shakes his head and says before turning and leaving you there, "Good luck to you, but I'm going back to my house and locking the doors."

[joertexas]

Louis shakes his head and says before turning and leaving you there, "Good luck to you, but I'm going back to my house and locking the doors."

"Can we have some of that garlic," Eodrien asks. She turns to her companions. "If anyone has containers for that holy water, please gather some."

[ateno]

Darrian has finished at least one of his wine skins, but: "Does it not have to be blessed? Or is this a different order?

Darian will wash his wine flask out with the trickle and fill his skin. Then he places Kazans water dish at the base so it can fill for him.

[Eris]

Louis shakes his head and says before turning and leaving you there, "Good luck to you, but I'm going back to my house and locking the doors."

"Can we have some of that garlic," Eodrien asks. She turns to her companions. "If anyone has containers for that holy water, please gather some."

Louis opens a pouch on his belt and hands Eodrien five cloves of garlic, "Hope it helps you."

And with that he's off back to his house to lock and bar the doors!

[Eris]

Darrian has finished at least one of his wine skins, but: "Does it not have to be blessed? Or is this a different order?

Darian will wash his wine flask out with the trickle and fill his skin. Then he places Kazans water dish at the base so it can fill for him.

"Don't know." Louis shrugs, "All I know is it seems to work for us just as is."

[Darithe]

Magdal empties out what water is left in her waterskin and then fills it with holy water. She hoped not to get too thirsty before its contents were made use of.

[terrymixon]

Magdal empties out what water is left in her waterskin and then fills it with holy water. She hoped not to get too thirsty before its contents were made use of.

Des follows suit.

[joertexas]

Eodrien eyes the wall and the cliff behind it. "Well, they can't escape from us. Shall we?" She steps forward, looking for a gate though the wall.

[ateno]

If there is a little light left, Adrain will try to find the highest point and look around so he has a idea of how the place is set up.

[Eris]

Magdal empties out what water is left in her waterskin and then fills it with holy water. She hoped not to get too thirsty before its contents were made use of.

Des follows suit.

OOC: Well, you can always drink holy water. I don't suppose it will do non-evil creatures any harm...might do good creatures some good even.

[Eris]

You all make ready. Des, Magdal and Darrian have filled their waterbags (wineskins) with what Louis told you was holy water. Eodrien has a string of garlic bulbs tied around her neck.

Darrian climbs the narrow stairs behind the vestry into the bell tower and looks around. The small walled village, gates closed now, is off to his right. The tall cliffs of the Escarpment is directly ahead of him, even in the tower it looms another 50 feet above him. To his left and ahead, below the cliff is the graveyard.

He sees that the graveyard itself is divided into two sections. The larger section is near the Chapel and round it and consists of many grave stones and some low plant beds, with plants just now emerging as the winter turns into spring. Beyond this section is a smaller one with a low, inner, fence separating it from the rest of the graveyard. In this smaller section there are several mausoleums holding crypts for the dead. The ground here is less tended, with numerous low bushes and a few saplings growing here and there among the longer grass making it an untidy mess when you compare it to the nearer section of graves.

The largest of these mausoleums in the rear section is near the rear of the graveyard butting up against the cliffs of the Escarpment. There is a large double door on its front and to you it looks like the seal on the door has been broken as you *think* you can see a crack of darkness where the doors are ajar.

Looking down on the inner section you note that the long grass has been beaten down into rough paths between the large mausoleum and two other smaller ones on the left side of the inner graveyard. The beaten down grass does not extend to the gate in there, so from ground level the paths would not be visible even if someone was to look over the inner fence.

The light from the sun is fading fast as it sets in the west, to Darrian's right hand side, and he can't make out any more features of the place.

Coming down from the tower Darrian joins the rest of the group as they convene inside the outer graveyard.

OOC: Does he describe what he saw to the rest of the party?

You can all see an iron gate that leads from the outer graveyard into the inner one. It doesn't appear to be locked, just a small latch holding it closed. The inner fence is stone and is about 4 feet high, so you can look over (or climb over) it at any point if you don't what to use the gate.

Frank looks around and says, "This place already gives me the willies! What are we gonna do? Hide out in the Chapel? Make camp here and watch the mausoleums over there? Or are we going to go in there and poke around?"

[terrymixon]

Magdal empties out what water is left in her waterskin and then fills it with holy water. She hoped not to get too thirsty before its contents were made use of.

Des follows suit.

OOC: Well, you can always drink holy water. I don't suppose it will do non-evil creatures any harm...might do good creatures some good even.

Des is tempted to drink some and fake a seizure, but this is probably a bad time.