Undead

Having entered the church we proceeded directly along the aisle towards the altar, or rather where the alter would be. Call it instinct but for some reason I decided to hold back and remain unseen within the clutter of the broken pews and many shadowy corners. I'm sure this would be considered fortuitous by even the most jaded for, no sooner had my companions reached a stairway at the rear of the church, a loud the grinding of iron echoing with the weight of something could be heard. Some wicked creature was no doubt ascending from the depths below.

Kaith found a secure and hidden location to snipe from while Jhaire and Cajole remained standing at the doorway with weapons drawn. For a moment nothing happened and then Jhaire recoiled slightly as if exposed to a foul odour. Moments later my guess proved accurate as one of the walking dead emerged from the darkness of the stairway. It was a skeletal creature dressed in rags that were caked in mud. I guessed that it was one of the recently exhumed dead from the church graveyard and not the body of a soldier or guard. It certainly carried no weapons and wore no armour.

During the Last War I had fought several types of undead creature. Most often these were Karrnathi Zombies and Skeletons. The flesh and bones of these creatures were always treated with some kind of alchemical substance that slowed the rate of decay and toughened the flesh and bones. In addition Karrnath saw fit to equip the dead soldiers with much better quality weapons and armour than their living soldiers. They said that even the Karrnathi dead rose again to defend their nation. They called them the Risen and I hated them.

A single skeleton stood little chance against the combined blades of Cajole and Jhaire. Cajole always seems to come alive when in combat and exhibits a degree of grace in her movements that belie her armoured form. Jhaire fought the creature with a fury that I had not seen in her before. It would seem that these sombre elves are passionate in their hatred of the undead.