Chronicles of Vieliria

[VAN]

With another small payer to Ezra Boiros gets a deep breath and goes closer to Garet. He checks his breath and when is sure that the man has just fainted checks the others as well. Then retrieves his long sword and is more than happy to follow Wil, Jean and the rest to find the missing levies. When they return back at the point where everyone stands Boiros turns to Roddek and says:

"We need to bury this poor child's body. I'm not sure if I can do a proper funeral but I have two flasks of holy water with me. We need to pour them to the ground, the body and the skin."

Pronouncing these words Boiros shivers and makes a great effort to gather his wits and keep talking.

"I will also inform the Church at the town. This place needs to be concecrated and fast otherwise will be full of undead in no time."

[Varrus the Ethical]

"Hey, take a look at this," says Wil, pointing at at a rock next to a set of child-like foot prints.

[alhoon]

Most of the gathered are too disturbed to notice anything, but Boiros, Wilfred and Roddek notice a strange discoloration on the rock, as if it's been exposed to a corroding agent like acid.

[VAN]

Boiros takes a closer look at the corroded rock and gets a worried expression.

"I have bad news, we have to hurry to go to town and inform the church that an undead called crimson bones is on the loose."

At the questioning glances of his companions Boiros replies:

"The skinned body of the child has become a restless dead that hates the living. It's dripping acidic blood that can burn flesh on contact so if you attack it you might get burned by its blood. Also, its bite causes blood poisoning. We need to move fast, this isn't the best place to be right now, it isn't safe."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Wil checks he arrow in his quiver and then looks to Borios. "I know a thing or two about dealing with the undead. I say we track it down and put it to rest before it hurts anyone else."

[VAN]

Boiros tilts his head at the right where the group of levies still try to get over the shock.

"I don't think it's wise to go after the undead right now, alas I don't know even if I can keep my wits to fight it properly! The visage of the skinned child might drive me to panic as before. But if you feel you are able to fight it with Roddek's help then by all means do so. I can try to get the levies to the town and inform the church. It's not only the crimson bones that concerns me, more undead maybe get to the cursed ground. The area needs to be consecrated as soon as possible."

Looking at the people that are unable to travel, levies and Garret, Boiros says:

"We can get only two of them by horse to the town, if Lord Jean agrees of course and maybe those that feel better can help the rest to travel. We will need more time but I hope we can make it to be there before sunset."

[alhoon]

Jean seems to agree with Wil that they should go after the creature although he hasn't made any decisions yet. On the other hand, Serge seems to think they should go to the town, or at least a nearby hamlet, set word out about horrors of the night and call for reinforcements. However he declares that if Lord Matheron decides to go after the undead, he will stand by his side.
Arneu, still pale, just shakes his head mumbling "I don't think I can keep my wits if ... something like that came against me. If Wilfred, Roddek and Lord Matheron try to stop the restless corpse of the tortured child, I would prefer to stay with the Levies. "

Listening to Boiros words, that they could have Anchorites deal with the undead and perhaps the Zevarziaspawn, none of the levies wants to remain in the woods or go after the undead. Most offer to help along their comrades that are too shocked to walk if their leaders decide to hunt the undead or the Zevarziaspawn.

[Roddek]

"I don't plan on fleeing from a small child, corpse or not," Roddek says, but he does look over the state of his troops. He speaks low, low enough that the men wouldn't hear him. "I'd as soon ask for volunteers, rather than command them to march against this thing. They didn't sign up for this fight. Most aren't ready for it."

[alhoon]

Serge looked at the dwarf and shook his head "I volunteer then. I serve the Matheron family for more than a decade and I won't let my liege's heir alone to face that thing and perhaps even the zevarziaspawn that did that."
Arneau on the other hand seemed distraught "I don't think I'll be of any help. I'm still too shaken. I'll remain with the levies whether we go to a village or town as the anchorite suggests or camp here. At the time, I don't think I could face even the sight of red wine, let alone ... what you're trying to fight"
He looks at Roddek, Wilfred, Jean and Serge before he addresses Jean Matheron. "Your lordship, keep in mind please that shock and horror have lingering effects that may not be immediately apparent. Exposure to too many horrors could take a toll on one's mentality."

[Varrus the Ethical]

"I didn't mean take the levies and hunt that thing. We should have a small team hunt this thing down while the rest of the group continues into town," says Wil. "That way, we don't risk it following us."

[VAN]

Boiros listens everyone's opinions and finally nods at Wil.

"I second that. Can you track the undead and tell us its direction so we can head at the opposite one? I doubt me, Arneu or the levies will be able to fight it properly if we see it. I wasn't able to stand even near the tree where the poor child died, I had an uncontrollable feeling of aversion that forced me to stay away. I'm afraid that I might get panicked again if I see the crimson bones even in long distance...But I'm a Warden of Mighty Ezra, my duty is to protect everyone who worships the Lady of the Mists and this is what I intend to do. I want to get the levies safely to the town no matter what."

Looking at Roddek and Wil that are clearly more calm and able to thing right the cleric adds:

"Unless you have a better idea of course, you two have clearer mind right now and both of you have lead others to safety which makes both of you more experienced than me. Do you think that we should do something else? Maybe stay and camp here and wait you to put the undead to rest and then go to town or track it down and move to the opposite direction hoping it doesn't backtrack and bumps into us?"

[Roddek]

Roddek looked back over the levies. "I don't imagine any of them could stomach it, anyway. Someone will need to lead them to the town though." He looked around the gathered group.

[alhoon]

Matheron looked at the dwarf. "So, the anchorite and Arneau of Richemulot will lead the levies away while Lord Greyaxe, Mr Wilfred, Serge and myself hunt down the undead remains of that kid?
After we... who's going to do the funeral of the remains once we've put that part of the body to rest? I believe it's better to do the funeral in my uncle's town"

Serge looked uncomfortable. "If we have to carry the remains of the child to the town, we better use a chest."
Jean nodded. "We can use my chest. I'll transfer my things to bags and the levies can carry them. Someone has to brave the tree and pick up the rest of the kid's remains. The skin." Serge seems to pale at the thought and Jean makes no move towards the discarded skin.
After an uncomfortable moment, they turn to Wilfred and Roddek.
"I apologize lord Greyaxe and mr Wilfred. But you would do us a great favor if one of you picked up the skin of the kid and placed it on the chest. It's disrespectful to bury the remains without the skin, and leave it here. My stomach couldn't stand it, else I would do it myself."

Serge in the meantime emptied a small chest Jean had with him, put the contents to bags and handed them to the levies.

[Varrus the Ethical]

"I've handled my share of hides in my time. Though the skin...of a child..." He shakes his head. "I think it would be better if we simply cremated the boy's remains. You could hold a funeral over the ashes, remember the boy for who he was rather than...what he became."

[alhoon]

Jean nodded. "Yes, I think that would be best" Jean turned to the dishelved levies and spoke to Boiros and Arneau. "May Ezra shield all of you in your journey. You should be in the town by afternoon"
Serge steeled himself and went to retrieve the skin of the body and he had the grisly task of removing the facial skin that was nailed on the tree. He doubled over and vomited again. As he was hastily putting the remains on a bag to burn them, Boiros accidentaly took a glimpse of the face. Better preserved than the skin of the body, it was obvious to Serge and the Anchorite that the complexion was green-brown, not a human color.

"That... that was not a human child" Serge said confused when he reached the others, the grisly remains securely in a bag.
The news that the victim was not a human seem to invogorate the levies. Although still shaken and appaled, it's obvious that they consider the act far less atrocious when the victim is not one of their kind.

Boiros and Arneau manage to have the levies ready to go within a few minutes, with those too indisposed to move on improvised litters. Giving a prayer to Ezra for protection, Boiros leads the levies away. The mists reduce visibility to a few hundred yards, some of the levies have a rough idea on how to stay on the right path.
As the levies file away, Jean turned to Wilfred. "Should we start hunting the remains now Wilfred of Falkovnia?"