Further Discoveries and Revelations
Sore wounded and troubled by ominous dreams did the band of heroes sleep through the night under the shadow of the greatest tree in the grove of the elfin temple. But when the morning arose there came yet more of the undead out of the ruins of the elfin village. Grarr the Warden charged into them and kept them from attacking his comrades; Alaire the Druid and his doughty Bear kept the foes entangled and also gave much needed healing to his fellows; Ardjuna the Archer drove long shafts unerringly through eyes and lungs and hearts so that the monsters could no longer function in their ghastly mockery of life.
The band of adventurers well thought that the temple had been purged of all evils, but the continued presence of undead within the forest disturbed their peace. And so they ventured forth into the forest near the village for to investigate more things. And behold they met three horrible creatures of the grave, and two did fire cold arrows of grim death at them, and the greatest one did howl like a banshee, and even within his very presence did a man feel dread and cold and death. Though Grarr the Warden charged them, yet the skeletal archers did wound Ardjuna from far. And Alaire the Druid and his mighty Bear did entangle the foes and also gave much necessary healing to his fellows, and Ardjuna the Archer used his magical bow to pierce through the unhallowed magic which bound these undead creatures to this world.
Then the party returned into the temple’s depths again, for Prince Ardjuna did remember himself that day, that there was a hidden and holy sanctuary within, where our heroes could rest and recover at ease when such troubles befell them. Through several corridors they passed, but at the head of one flight of stairs they happed upon three towering monstrosities who hindered our path. Battle was joined and lo it was revealed another creature, a horrible many eyed thing floating through the air, and it was made even more ungodly and fell in its animated death. Yet nonetheless did our heroes prevail.
Finally the secret door which had been discovered on the yester day was refound, and the sanctuary was entered. Therein sat a dead man who taken his own life in despair. At his hand was a letter expressing his regrets. On the table afore him lay a thick tome of rituals. Ardjuna could bare read the elven script and strange words for all was couched in either arcane or priestly language, but he did find therein a ritual which could call upon the great goddess Baloo and save the village and the forest from the evils now upon them. Since none of the party could cast rituals or knew the lore of the elfin religion deeply enough, it was decided that the party would set out in search of a wise and good man of the gods to aid them and to cast this hallowed rite.
Not far even from the village, in the leafy expanse of the woods, the company of adventurers discovered some weak and tender elves under attack from more undead creatures. We rescued them, but the leader of this warband of undead was most fell and dread, and he smote Grarr sore even to the ground, and his cold armour of icy grave cerements turned many an arrow and many a bladethrust before he was destroyed.
Again a greater band of elves was found, and these the party bespoke, and from them the party learned of a monastery to the north where a wise and holy might be found to cast the ritual to the Lady Baloo. Ardjuna persuaded the weak and defenseless elves to accompany the band of heroes to the monastery and to safety, but little time passed before again the unholy enemies attacked and the elves fled in other directions through the woods. This time Ardjuna swiftly and nimbly clomb up the largest tree and from the harbour of its leafy boughs he rained down destruction upon the hapless undead foes. And Grarr and Alaire held them firm from fleeing or manoeuvring, and the Bear tore them to pieces.
After that fight, Ardjuna once more remembered himself, that in his native village there was the abode of a well-traveled merchant who had stored many wondrous and magical things. He suggested that the party return to the sanctuary in the temple to rest, and on their way to the temple through the village, the party should search and find worthy treasures to aid them in their quest, save only that whatever they took for that they should leave coin against the eventual return of the elves and as a gesture of respect to the goddess Baloo.