Survivors

With quick staccato phrases, one of the three captives spoke about the horror befallen the town. Manyoak was no more. Not in spirit, not in population. Evil had arrived, leaving its mark everywhere.

"Black carriages arrived a week ago with Bane’s symbol draped upon them. They unloaded some goods and quickly befriended the counstable, who began inviting townsfolk to his manor. We noticed many people entering the Church of The Earthmother, but never returning to their homes."

"After several days, the townsfolk numbers dwindled and the rest of us knew something was wrong. Two nights ago the murders began. Sinister skeletal warriors blocked our escape. We hid in our homes, huddled our children close to us. That’s when they came for them. The women first, then our offspring. As they came from the church, their eyes dripped blood, and they breathed heavily, as if in ecstasy. They pulled them by their hair and by their legs into the temple. Some of us hid in the cellar beneath the Winged Cat, and wept."

"The three of us set out to stop them. We tried to get help but were met by powerful armored warriors who lacked form beneath their armor. We were led down a great staircase then herded into a slave pen beneath the church. There were some others there, alive, but covered in blood."

"These merchants arrived last night, and by the looks of them were treated very well to our women, our food, and our belongings. We kept hearing of blood, we were horrified by the gray tuskers and dark priests that seemed busy beneath the church. We heard chanting and screaming in horrific ecstasy and saw flashes of light. Then we were brought back up and told we were being taken to Kurth where we would be put to work. They asked us if we knew our way around a square and compass."

The broken men explained their desperate need to get help quickly. The adventuring parting slowly looked at one another, then gazed back hesitantly at the three worried men, as if to say, "... we are the help."