Her intention, when Veldrin passed through the church doors, was not to complete a mission for Mathus Gray. But he was there when she lowered her head in respect for the church and sat nearby to meditate. And when he initiated conversation, it was polite and educational. But when conversation had passed, his presence changed, and his friendly expression became somehow tainted. He asked Veldrin for a favor.
The drow left the church and approached Sergeant Arc. She explained the matter to him, and shortly after, the pair arrived at the barracks to gather militiamen for a quest. Regular ShadowHand, Corporal Valiro, Regular Deibeau, Recruit Jevionia, and Recruit Valentine lined up next to Veldrin neatly, awaiting the Sergeant's instruction. Arc summoned Veldrin to announce the situation. Quickly gathering herself, she stood forward and turned. Hesitating not a second, she spoke. "A package vas sent from church to church a few days ago. Zhe man who carried it vas accompanied by a convoy of Templars. Zhat package never reached its destination. Zhe Templar's bodies vere found in zhe svamp north of here. Zhe courier vas novhere to be found; he is suspected captured."
A rouse of shock and confusion resounded in whispers and gasps. Veldrin paused one moment before continuing. "Zhe church received a message by carrier pigeon zhat the courier may be alive, held vizhin zhe confines of zhe Undead Keep east of zhe Compassion Shrine in Ilshenar. Ve are to retrieve zhe courier and bring him back here." She couldn't resist a smirk as she moved back in line, enjoying the disbelief and even fear of the other militiamen. Sergeant Arc took command again, and opened a portal to the moongate, which they would use to arrive at the Compassion Shrine not minutes later.
Marching a nearly straight line east from the shrine to the keep, the guardsmen slew the few lesser undead creatures that wandered just outside. Encounting reanimated corpses, powerful lich lords, and cursed mummies, the group stormed the undead keep, searching through each room to find the supposed courier. They finally located him in a small bedroom-like area, simpering and huddling underneath an old bed with a rotting mattress.
The man quickly began rambling about the attack and how the Templars were killed. He explained that a mage had opened a moongate and thrown the package into it, but he couldn't remember where the moongate went to. He began sputtering and rambled on a bit more, while guardsmen tried to calm him down, but at that point, a lich appeared from nowhere inside the room and began flinging spells randomly. The courier was injured and crumpled to the floor, scurrying under the bed again. In a few moments the threat was again neutralized.
"Perhaps we should have this little chat when were not in the middle of an undead fort, eh?" Arc pointed out helpfully. He was quickly agreed with. Before we could move however, Sir Hugo burst into the room, followed by a legion of undead. Annoyed with the Templar's carelessness, the guardsmen dispatched the undead creatures and shuffled the courier along with them. Sir Hugo brushed passed them and mounted his horse, going about his own way and bashing at walking corpses and skeletons at his leisure.
"Vhat should I call you," Veldrin muttered flatly, glaring sharply at the man who had caused this much trouble. "Dorian," the man mustered between whimpers. Satisfied with being able to fit a name to the face, they hurried on. Unfortunately, Dorian sustained another injury, and was no longer able to walk. "Pick him up!" someone shouted. Veldrin didn't care who. She knelt down and lifted the man with some effort. Although a mage and a woman, she had trained enough to be considered strong and able by most men.
"Get him out of here!" Arc yelled as the group was continuously swarmed by rotting, walking creatures. "Don't wait up for me!"
With the rest of the group covering her back, Veldrin moved as fast as she could with the man in her arms, hurrying to the moongate at the Compassion shrine. As soon as she reached her destination, she hurried to the barracks, rushing up the stairs and kicking the door open. Reaching the bed and laying him onto the mattress and sheet, Veldrin finally got a clear look of Dorian. He was more injured than she had originally recognized, and not all of the injuries were fresh. She could tell by the way his chest was heaving that he did not have long. He began muttering obscure phrases.
"Bird..." he muttered. "The truth is always seen by a bird from above."
"I don't understand," Veldrin stated, watching the man without compassion. She heard the door open, and her ear twitched. Arc was standing nearby. "He is talking in riddles," she explained, turning back to Dorian. Arc nodded and returned downstairs to instruct the waiting guardsmen outside.
The man muttered more, but much of it was lost or too incoherent to understand. Before long he was dead. As Arc returned, the two carried the body to the church and left it for the Templars to take care of. The package, it seemed, was still lost.
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