Nightmare of the Lost: Part 5

Volunteers

They had waited for no more than a day when their next volunteer appeared. He introduced himself as Ramiel. He was a member of a large religious organization. As the assassin of his order, it lay to him to deal with any evil he encountered. He was tasked with making sure that any threats to life and their order be eliminated before they could pose a lethal threat. Ramiel was a brusque and direct man. 

Ramiel told them that his mission was of a cleansing nature. He was traveling around the kingdom to ensure that it was free of dark influences. He had heard of the scourge upon the land in his travels and had made his way here. Crystal Falls was the last bastion of civilization before the smaller villages that dotted the rugged wilderness were the only thing of humanoid design. The rest of the land was unoccupied and unexplored. 

Most of the villages he had visited were already dead and empty. He came to Crystal Falls to gather a group of mercenaries. Wandering the city for the first time, he had seen their posting for help and had resolved, immediately, to join them. BaRuhk and Sukra nodded and asked for a few moments to think over his words. Ramiel said he would give them time but that he would be making the trip one way or another. 

Alone at the table as Ramiel went off, BaRuhk and Sukra conferred. He seemed like a religious zealot to them. They had met a few and they were always burning with righteous fury. They rarely stopped to ask whether something was right to do, believing that they were protected by their holy mission. He was also a trained fighter, able to sneak past defenses and spying eyes. 

They agreed to let him join and asked him to share a room with Brick to rest and prepare for their journey. BaRuhk and Sukra wanted to see how many others they could hire or take on as volunteers. They wanted to wait for a few days for any others to join. Ramiel was willing to wait as long as he could go on the trip. He told them to let him know when they could leave and made his way to the shared room. 

That same day they met Mislypsis, Missy for short. She was a powerful sorceress and a tiefling. She loved chaos but also had a special place in her heart for people in need. She didn’t want to see her beautiful home in shambles and so agreed to go with them to take out the necromancer. Her exuberant personality was a bit weird when paired with their more somber demeanors but she was a welcome addition to their group. 

She spent some hours regaling the couple with stories of her adventures and misadventures with magic. Missy loved making things explode and creating new spells with disastrous effect. She was adept at fire magic and control magic. Her adventures were crazy and sometimes hard to believe but she seemed genuinely interested in helping. 

BaRuhk and Sukra agreed that there should be enough power between the five of them to take on this menace. With their group complete, they resolved to head off at first light. They informed the other members and made ready for their departure. That night they had a big dinner together to thank the volunteers and hearten their spirits for the mission ahead. 

They drank and ate, feeling the bonds of camaraderie for even just a few moments. The food wasn’t anything special but the booze was delicious and they drank late into the night. Each person shared stories of their greatest battles. It was a tradition to do so on the eve of a great undertaking. The group went to bed late but heartened by the company and conversation. None had forgotten their tragedies or motivations but there was a feeling of safety in numbers.  

Early next morning the group set out on the road leading into the enormous forest where their quarry hid. No one cheered them on or came to see them off. The streets were barely getting ready for the day’s business. No grand fanfare, but these five warriors would be the ones to end this blight upon the land. They would rid these parts of the scourge of the necromancer or die trying.