Session 97

* Tiny Walled Hamlet South of Bilehall and North of the Sanctuary Temple.

**Previously...**

## And Now...

### A Rest in the Ruins.

Following the collapse of Bilehall, the group decide that their best hope is just to drive directly Southward towards the nearest exit from the Mistlands. Despite their recent triumphs, a heavy weight has settled onto the group which isn't being helped by a change in the weather. The ever-present ground-mist has become even thicker, making visibility even more difficult and progress increasingly treacherous. An ever-present drizzle has settled in and everyone is struggling along in a grim silence.

Dim, flickering lights are seen in the distance and the group moves to investigate, finding the remains of a small, walled settlement. The place is largely in ruins, with only a small handful of decrepit, but still intact, dwellings remaining. The wall itself has been breached in several places from long-forgotten battles. From a distance, the group can see vague movements in the breaches. At first, they suspect sentries or lookouts, but as they draw closer, they can see strange mechanical humanoids. These are all terribly battered and in awful condition.

Far too exhausted to continue, the group elects to approach, their hands held up to show that they don't represent a threat. Several villagers come to inspect them and decide to allow them to enter. None of the remaining dwellings are large enough to accommodate the whole group, so everyone splits up and settles in with a different house where they can share a meal and rest up somewhat. Dandy and Kakeru stay with a small family of halflings. To thank them for their hospitality, Kakeru performs an elaborate tea ceremony. Lacking anything as grand, Dandy shares her pocket bacon. Gar took time to investigate the automatons. Most of them are so damaged that they're effectively propped in place or wedged into the breaches, however there are three that are still capable of individual movement (though one has sustained damage to one foot, leaving with a nasty limp).

### Something Wicked...

Several members of the group start to feel vague presentiments of danger. Gathering together, Gar assumes dragon form and takes to the sky. In the distance, he can see a rolling, bilious-green fog sweeping in from the north. At the outskirts, thin tendrils snake out, as though the fog is some kind of sentient thing, probing for something. There's no time to escape though as, at the speed the fog is moving, it will have completely enveloped the hamlet in mere moments.

Leshrac gathers all the villagers into the centre of the hamlet, where a large open square is dominated by a run-down looking tower. As the group approached the square, a mysterious woman with shiny, obsidian-black skin emerged. One of the villagers introduced her as Felaza. She has helped in the past, but liked to be left alone, so the villagers respect her wishes.

She asks Leshrac if he has a plan, and he suggests setting up an arcane shield to prevent the fog from getting to the villagers. She nods in assent and produces a runebound shard which, she explains, she can use to try and reinforce the shield.

### Into the Frying Pan.

With the shield in place, the fog swirls about, but seems unable to pierce it, however, several people inside the shield begin to show signs of some kind of illness. Kakeru suspects a secondary effect to the fog and conjures a second barrier to keep the magical illness out. At this point, nobody is in imminent danger, but we are effectively trapped inside the magical shield.

Gar sends one of the automatons to see how far the fog extends. When it returns, it reports that that the fog extends out to a distance of about 2 miles. Beyond the fog, he can see patrols of undead soldiers, being led by Death Knights. They seem to be looking for something. At first, it feels like the soldiers are there to kill stragglers who manage to survive the effects of the fog, but Azrah suggests that the soldiers might be using the cloud might be serving as a kind of pack of hunting dogs. As the fog sweeps across the countryside, its probing tendrils seeking out its prey, it also leads the squads of soldiers behind it. And what's worse is that this seems to be happening throughout the Mistlands.