The swamp lay heavy with dusk, its air humming with the drone of unseen insects and the slow, throaty calls of frogs. The hill where they had fought Sereth Hollowvoice stood black against the horizon, ringed by the charred corpses of his defeated servants. Though the stones beneath their feet thrummed with an old and dangerous magic, the companions felt the weariness of the day pressing in. It was time to rest, though none were eager to lay their heads upon ground so steeped in necromancy.

They chose a patch of firmer earth nearby, grass thick enough to keep them from sinking into the mud. It was less comfortable than the hilltop, but it carried no lingering stench of sorcery. Weapons were laid within reach, a shielded fire coaxed to life. Watch was set.

Thalmiir and Bartholomeow stood first guard, their eyes turned outward into the gloaming. The dwarf’s thoughts strayed to warmer halls and steadier ground, while the cat-bard hummed to himself, weaving a melody from the rhythms of the swamp. But his tune broke abruptly—his sharp ears caught a sound that did not belong. Wingbeats, soft as silk, followed by the scrape of talons. A pale owl sat upon a dead branch, its gaze unblinking. Bartholomeow’s fur bristled; he knew this creature. The same owl that had mocked them with false speech on the night of horrors. He whispered the warning, and Thalmiir strode forward, voice stern: “Speak your purpose, or begone.”

The owl’s head swiveled with uncanny precision, eyes wide as moons, and then it fled—its wings snapping through the silence as it vanished into the night. Uneasy, Thalmiir passed word to the next watch.

Pebblesong and Hat took their places beneath the stars. Puppet, Hat’s jittering construct, was first to sense the threat. It pointed, frantic, to the horizon where shadows shifted unnaturally. At first, Pebblesong thought it no more than wind or swarming insects, but then the sound reached her ears: guttural, rasping grunts, like broken voices trying to form words. She had heard it before—the mockery of language from ghouls and ghasts. Worse, she realized, those cruel creatures were not alone. They were herding a horde.

Hat hurled a firebolt into the darkness. The flash revealed the truth: dozens, perhaps more, shambling in unison. Unlike the aimless wanderers of the swamp, these undead all faced the same way—toward the companions’ camp. The hunters were driving the herd straight at them.

Pebblesong roused the others quickly. Thalmiir rose instantly, axe in hand, grim as stone. “How many?” he demanded. “Enough to trample us in our sleep,” came the answer. Panic itched at the edges of the company, but strategy prevailed. Pebblesong touched a crossbow bolt, filling it with light, and Bhakris loosed it high into the air. It fell amidst the oncoming dead, and as it struck earth, an unholy cry rose up. One ghast dropped to all fours and sprinted toward them, eyes fixed, howling.

They had only moments to decide. Flight seemed their only hope. Hat scattered enchanted distractions into the mire—lights, sounds, even a clump of grass reeking faintly of Bartholomeow—all designed to lure the mindless throng away. Bhakris invoked a gift of his earthborn blood, cloaking them all in shadow and silence. Together, they abandoned the camp, slipping southeast through the swamp.

The night was treacherous. Tangled vines barred their way, clinging to boots and pulling at cloaks. Thalmiir, muscles burning with rage, hacked a path, dragging Hat close beside him. Pebblesong transformed into a small frog, leaping safely into Bhakris’ pocket to conserve strength. The others pressed on as best they could, stealth and speed their only allies.

But fate was not so merciful. As Thalmiir hewed through a curtain of vines, a slavering ghoul leapt from the darkness, jaws snapping. With a roar, the barbarian seized it, driving its face deep into the mud. The creature writhed and gurgled, muffled by the swamp, but its shrieks threatened to summon the rest. Bhakris moved swiftly, his blade burning with divine fire. One swift stroke, and the ghoul’s head rolled free, the light of the smite flaring against the night. For a heartbeat all was still.

The companions looked to one another, hearts pounding. The horde was still out there, driven onward by unseen masters. Yet for now, they had won a sliver of silence, a fleeting chance to escape into the darkness.

Tomorrow would bring its reckoning. But tonight, survival meant running.

Session Notes

  • Context and setting at session start:

    • The party had previously defeated Sereth Hollowvoice and his undead retinue, leaving a cart of corpses and the unresolved mystery of why corpses were reanimating.
    • Excavation revealed the group was atop standing stones used for powerful magic; runes referenced some kind of cycle.
    • The site’s orientation indicated a direction toward Baroldson Farm.
    • Evening approached (twilight onset with ambient swamp sounds). Some characters had been digging; others resting or lounging.
    • The group discussed whether to camp on the magically tainted hill (uncomfortable due to necromantic associations) or nearby.

  • Choosing a campsite:

    • Decision: Do not camp on the necromantic mound; instead, camp nearby to avoid racing sunset back through the swamp.
    • A group Survival effort (three successes, two failures) located a drier, grassy patch suitable for tents and bedrolls.
    • Positioning: the site was within a stone’s throw (~120 ft) southwest of the mound (later used as a reference for chase geometry).
    • Comfort tradeoff: less comfortable than the hilltop but spiritually less intense.

  • Watch order and first watch (Thalmiir Brukur & Bartholemeow):

    • Perception checks:

      • Thalmiir Brukur: rolled 11; attentive but distracted by thoughts of being out of the swamp.
      • Bartholemeow: rolled a natural 20; acutely observant.

    • Owl sighting:

      • Bartholemeow detected the quiet wingbeats and claw-scrabble of an owl alighting on a nearby dead tree.
      • He immediately recognized it as the same owl that had visited on the prior night of nightmares (previously responded poorly to Speak with Animals).
      • Thalmiir rose and approached, warning, “Speak your mind, owl, or away from this place.”
      • The owl startled and flew off; Thalmiir called after it that if it returned, it should be prepared to state its purpose.

    • Perimeter activity:

      • A few shambling undead wandered near the broader perimeter but drifted away; the watch remained otherwise calm.

    • Knowledge passed to the next watch: the same owl had followed the party.

  • Second watch (Pebblesong & Hat):

    • Perception (auditory) emphasis:

      • Pebblesong initially rolled poorly but then succeeded, “getting the dust out of her ears,” and listened closely.
      • Puppet (Hat’s construct) urgently signaled Hat and pointed toward distant movement.

    • Initial probe:

      • Hat cast Fire Bolt toward the horizon, primarily for illumination, revealing far more zombies than the party had seen together at once.
      • Observation: the horde was unusually aligned, many facing the same direction—toward the party/camp.

    • Identification of threat:

      • Pebblesong heard guttural, raspy sounds—the broken quasi-speech associated with ghouls and ghasts encountered recently.
      • Insight check (Pebblesong: success): deduced ghouls/ghasts were herding the zombies toward the party (and/or the standing stones).
      • Assessment: engaging such a horde would be very taxing, especially since the party had not long rested since the Sereth Hollowvoice battle (short rests completed earlier).

  • Rousing the party and immediate measures:

    • Everyone awakened to the report of an approaching, herded zombie mass.

    • Light decoy plan:

      • Pebblesong cast Light (touch spell; 20 ft bright/20 ft dim radius, 1-hour duration) on the tip of a crossbow bolt rather than a rock to extend throw range.
      • Hat (with crossbow range up to 320 ft) fired the illuminated bolt in a high arc toward the mass (attack at disadvantage; not aimed at a specific target).
      • The bolt landed near a ghoul, half-buried, dimming but still shedding enough light to silhouette the figure.
      • Reaction: one ghoul cried out, others joined the chorus briefly; the nearest ghoul then dropped to all fours and sprinted toward the party’s position.

    • Additional decoys (Magical Tinkering — Hat):

      • Deployed multiple small decoy objects away from the camp in different directions (not toward the party), including:

        • Light-emitting items (small radius per tinkering).
        • A repeating “tasty human”-style bait message.
        • A nonverbal, language-like murmuring sound.
        • A scent decoy mimicking Bartholemeow.
        • A fourth decoy that, if touched, spoke “ha ha, I gotcha. We’re not here.”

      • Note: deploying four effects would extinguish an earlier tinkered candle; Hat accepted that tradeoff.

      • Intent: distract slower zombies and create false trails; less effect on the fast ghoul(s) already sprinting.

  • Withdrawal and chase begins:

    • Thalmiir urged immediate withdrawal, grabbing essentials (e.g., bedroll) and guiding Bartholemeow (no darkvision).

    • Bhakris Edge activated Pass Without Trace (Earth Genasi innate; usable once per long rest), conferring +10 to group Stealth and masking tracks.

    • Travel conditions: night swamp travel at speed—disadvantage on relevant checks due to darkness and terrain.

    • Chase mechanic (as set by the DM):

      • For each “leg,” the party attempts required skill checks.
      • The zombie/ghoul force then rolls a d6; if the result is under the number of party failures, the horde catches up.
      • If the party’s Stealth (with Pass Without Trace) succeeds for that leg, the horde’s d6 is rolled at disadvantage (harder to roll low).

    • Relative positions for orientation (as clarified during planning):

      • Party camp: about 120 ft southwest of the standing stones.
      • Baroldson Farm lay generally south-southeast from the stones.
      • The approaching undead were northeast relative to the party’s position.

  • First obstacle during the flight: dense, ropey vines (Strength-based):

    • The DM set DC 12 for Athletics (other reasonable approaches allowed).

    • Thalmiir:

      • Entered Rage to force a path, hacking vines and negating the darkness penalty for himself and one ally (Hat) for this effort.
      • Athletics check: success (non-disadvantaged due to Rage decision).

    • Bhakris:

      • Athletics at disadvantage (darkness), then rolled again per procedure; success.

    • Pebblesong:

      • Used Wild Shape to become a frog, hopped into Bhakris’s pocket; counted as an automatic success contributing to the group’s progress.

    • Waer’dara Dryaalo’ara: failed the check.

    • Bartholemeow: failed the check.

    • Hat:

      • Benefited from Rage-provided mitigation (no darkness disadvantage on his attempt); outcome contributed to the group tally.

    • Group result:

      • The party achieved enough successes to clear the obstacle, but accumulated three failures on the leg.

    • Stealth check for the leg (with Pass Without Trace):

      • The group made a Stealth check; notable result included Thalmiir 25 despite armor-imposed disadvantage (rolled accordingly).
      • Outcome: Stealth success for the leg, imposing disadvantage on the horde’s catch roll.

  • Horde catch roll for that leg:

    • The pursuing force rolled d6 at disadvantage (seeking low results); results came up 1s/2s.
    • Because the party had three failures, the low roll was under the failure count.
    • Result: the ghouls caught up to the party despite the stealth advantage.

  • Contact with the pursuers:

    • The DM randomly determined who was first discovered: Thalmiir Brukur.

    • Encounter onset:

      • Thalmiir split a curtain of vines and came face-to-face with a slavering ghoul that immediately tried to alert its companions.

      • Thalmiir chose a quiet neutralization over an open strike:

        • Attempted to grapple and silence the ghoul, slamming its face into the mud to stifle cries.
        • Contested Athletics: Thalmiir succeeded, securing the grapple.
        • Follow-up to ensure silence: executed a melee attack (declared Reckless Attack to secure the hit); hit landed, and the ghoul’s howls were muffled into the mud.

      • Nearby ghouls yipped and growled, but did not pinpoint the party’s position from that stifled noise.

    • Finishing blow:

      • Recognizing that releasing the ghoul would let it resume the alarm, Bhakris stepped in for a swift kill.
      • Bhakris delivered a melee strike empowered by Divine Smite, dealing 23 total damage (enough to kill—“one to spare” as noted).
      • The strike produced a burst of radiant light, but the kill was clean and immediate, aiming to minimize attention.

  • Session endpoint:

    • With the immediate ghoul neutralized, the party gained a brief respite in the chase.
    • The DM concluded the session indicating that next time the group would see whether they could capitalize on this window to continue their escape from the pursuing undead.