Adrian: Baldur's Gate

The sun was down. Darkness had come, and with it a slow gentle pattering of rain. They were back down by the docks. Zavrian's ship had gone, Adrian had already checked. There would be no help from that quarter. Not that Adrian was sure the pirate could've done anything for them anyway.

"Tiax misses the sea raiders," sighed the Gnome.

Adrian nodded. "So do I."

The Temple of Umberlee was built on a pier right out over the water, no surprise there. There were a few dim flickering candles, but nowhere near as many as there would have been otherwise. It was nearing the middle night, and as Adrian had hoped, a good number of the Sea Queen's followers were asleep.

The temple itself was a long, low, single story building, with small square pools outside. Adrian briefly wondered why they'd bother being so close to the sea, but dismissed it. Architecture was not his strong point.

He turned to Xzar and raised an eyebrow. Xzar grinned. The Necromancer had been toying with his own experiments lately, using the blood of the Naskhel village idiot, the mage Davaeorn and some bones. Now was the time to unleash what he'd created.

The Zhentarim wizards twisted his hands together and mumbled Words. A giant skeleton, half again as tall as a man, formed out of the darkness, armed with a long-handled hammer.

Edwin let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

"Your turn," Adrian said to the Thayvian.

Edwin began his own casting, and a half dozen Gnolls materialized behind the giant skeleton.

Viconia and Tiax were next, summoning their own undead, and finally the wizards began mumbling in unison, summoning their jellies.

At the urgings of their various masters, the monsters attacked the temple.

The Umberlee sea hags never had a chance. Many of them were asleep. The few that were up and ready were no match for the assembled foe. A few managed to summon their own undead, but it was not enough. Those that tried to turn the party's undead to their service found their attempts blocked, thanks in large part to Xzar's experiments. And of course the Gnolls and Jellies were immune to such anyway.

The party waited until the sounds of battle had died down to sneak in, weapons drawn in case any of the cultists had survived. But none had. All the monsters were dead or returned to their place of summoning, save Xzar's giant skeleton.

"Return to your place of rest," Xzar said to it, and it vanished.

Kagain shuddered. "I fear no undead, but that thing is creepy."

"That's the idea," said Adrian.

They looted the corpses, and found the scroll...and the corpse of a small boy.

"He's already cold," said Viconia. "Our minions didn't kill him."

"Doesn't look like the brat of one of the Cultists, either," said Tiax.

"Let me take the body for more experiments, please?" wheedled Xzar.

Adrian's mouth twitched in distaste, but the wizard had a point; they needed all the help they could get. "All right."

They left quickly, leaving the devastated temple behind them. Somehow Adrian got the feeling the Flaming Fist wouldn't investigate this too closely, either.

They were halfway back to the appointed meeting place with Marek when another young boy, as young as the corpse slung over Adrian's shoulder, ran up to them.

"You found him!" the boy squeaked.

Adrian blinked. "What?"

"I must get his father!" the boy dashed away again.

"I don't like this...." murmured Kagain. Edwin and Viconia chorused agreement with him.

Adrian made a dismissive gesture with his free hand. "I think there is no worry."

A mage in violet robes approached with the boy. "My son! You've found his body in the temple?"

"Your son?" asked Adrian, hefting the body. "Aye, though we raided it for our own reasons."

"It is no matter. Give me his body back, I can ressurect him."

Adrian hesitated.

"I'll reward you!"

Adrian handed the boy over, despite Xzar's loud protests. As the man hurried away, Adrian hissed in Xzar's face. "Shut up. We can find another corpse easily enough. Go back to the temple and take one of the cultists if it pleases you." Xzar subsided.

The man came back with a mace, obviously enchanted. "Thank you! Oh, Tymora's blessings on you this night!" Then he was gone again.

"What was that all about?" asked Viconia.

"Who cares? We've got a nice mace out of it to sell." Adrian touched the scroll in his belt pouch. "Let's get this to Marek and begin to solve our own problems."