Dark servant, Good deed

[Johan]

"Spiritually, at least. Physically, perhaps not." Maccabeus agreed.

"I wonder, Severen." Maccabeus perked up. "Are you able to share your knowledge with us regarding the different forms of undead, and what might be the best ways to fight them? Given the current climate, that might be useful information indeed."

[Wildfire]

"People that survive the dark days and troubled times only become stronger." Severen says.

[Johan]

"I've heard stories of these abominations that you call undead." Maccabeus said hotly. "Seems to me to be an affront to the Great Cycle, although to be fair, I haven't studied them, so I am largely ignorant regarding their place, should they have one. It just seems to me that they cannot return if they never leave."

Maccabeus sat heavily upon the stair to the temple and cradled his head in his palms. "Dark days are brewing, it seems."

[Wildfire]

"Maal, that's exactly what I'm saying. As to the purpose....you'll have to ask the priest that raised them. To stop them well, it all depends on the manner in which they were raised. Some undead resist certain kinds of attacks better than others." Severen says. He takes a sip of his wine and askes, "Are you sure you don't want some wine? It's quite extraordinary."

[fraz]

"Hold a moment," Maal Brengain interrupts. "Ye 're sayin' tha' those dead folk in th' cave will rise from th' dead an' walk ag'in!? For wha' purpose? Will they attack th' town? An' how can they be stopped if'n they already be dead?" The Wildlander's brow is furrowed as she struggles to understand this latest bit of information.

[Wildfire]

Severen looked out into the town and said, "I'm not at all alone my friend. There were spirits...guardians of this temple, here when I arrived. Do not worry...they'll not harm you if you do not harm us. They have strict orders."

[Johan]

"Sooo..." Maccabeus began. "What's with all this puple could and who "greeted" us when we arrived? I thought that you were here by yourself?

[Wildfire]

OOC: Next?

[Wildfire]

"Very well. I'll stay out here with the three of you so that you're not so ill easy." Severen says. he walks over to the steps and sits down with his back against on of the outside entry columns.

"Now, you were wondering why they would have taken human teeth. I assume there were humans in the cave with the carcass eaters, yes?" without waiting for an answer he continues, "It is my belief that the teeth were stolen as a means for...how shall I put this...animating the dead from a distance. You can have faith that you'll see those dead people again. My guess is that if you were to go to the cave right now they wouldn't be there."

Severen looked out into the night sky as if trying to see something. "Are there more of them out there? I'd stake your life on it."

[Johan]

"I too will have to decline wine." Maccabeus said. "Wine dulls me too quickly, and tonight I'd rather not be dull. What I'd really like is to go out with Wolf and see if we can't pick up the scents of any of these villians. I'd like to understand where they come from, how long have they been here, are there more of them, if so where?"

Maccabeus caught himself once again. "At any rate," he added. "I'll have to take you up on that wine another time, perhaps tomorrow, when tensions are lessened."

[fraz]

Maal Brengain follows Maccabeus into the temple and stands silently at his side. She nods once in affirmation as he describes the winged serpent. "Th' beast took th' teeth outta th' dead folk in th' caves too. Human teeth... Can ye perhaps think o' any reason fer tha'?"

Then in answer to Severen's invitation, "I shall 'ave ta decline yer offer o' wine, Severen. I intend ta keep me wits aboot me tonight since there 'as been an attack on th' town. I should like ta stay an' speak with ye, though, if'n ye dinna mind."

[Wildfire]

Severen walks smoothly from the alter towards the front door separating the colorful mist with every step. He sheeths his dagger and says, "A winged serpent did this, eh? I can assure you that if the teeth were taken by the serpent that more of those carcass eaters will return. As for the claws...I don't know why they would be taken. For what I know of the beast, the claws do not act as any sort of seed. It isn't uncommon though to use organic powders as ingredients for various alchemic recipes. But I'm really just guessing at this point. Don't see that as a fact or clue..it's just something to keep in mind. The night has been busy and I was just about to set in with a glass of wine. Would you care to join me? The wine is from next door...a fine fermentation it is I must admit."

[Johan]

Maccabeus took a deep, settling breath and walked purposefully into the temple. "Sorry for disturbing you, Severen." He said as he entered.

Maccabeus surreptitiously surveyed the interior of the temple, and didn't move too deeply into it. Despite his curiosity, and the welcoming words of Severen, he felt anything but welcome in that dark temple. "But Maal and I just had a conversation that I thought you might firstly be able to shed some light upon, and secondly to have an interest in. We were discussing the evening's events and Maal said that she fought some of these carrion eaters in a cave south of here, and something or someone had come later to take teeth and claws from the dead carrion eaters' bodies. She said that it was a..." he looked at his wildlander companion for confirmation as he spoke "...winged serpent that took the teeth and claws. Any thoughts on what that could mean? Why would the claws also be of interest?"

[Wildfire]

"I shall present the request to my liege. You may wait here." the whispering voice replied. The voice had an echo-like quality to it and there was no face or form to accompany it.

Wolf's hair was standing straight up not from fear, Maccabeus noted, but from warning. Instinctively he bared his teeth and growled low and deep.

The outside was quiet now as many of the visitors and residents had gone to rest. The smell of the house fires from earlier in the night was lingering in the air. Around the temple the purple mist had grown thicker and seemed to move with a life of it's own. It surrounded the feet and legs of the three companions giving each one a grave chill.

Suddenly the doors open. Inside the Temple of Shadows is lit with a luminece purple fog. Beyond on the inside is an alter with a pile of bodies. Stnading at the alter waiting for your entrance is a dark robed silhouette with a long, shiny, ceremonial dagger. "Please, enter. You are all welcome into my home." Severen said with his calm, silky voice.

[Johan]

Maccabeus jumped near out of his skin at the sound of the voice. "Oh," he replied, catching his breath and quieting his heart. "Ah, I'm Maccabeus, and this is Maal - we're looking to speak with Severen. Uh, Please." He added meekly, then listened intently for any response.

"You can stay out here if you like, old friend." He said to Wolf. "Although I agree, this place is unnerving."