Recruitment

The next morning, they had the same meal of jerky, bread, and fresh water from their skins. After eating simply, the group proceeded along the city wall. There were none of the familiar birdsong, insect chirps, or beastly roars from the forests around Southshore. The sickly woods here had lost all vitality and lay utterly silent.

They occasionally encountered small groups of Undead soldiers, but before this party of high-ranking knights, the creatures did not even have a chance to flee.

The group had reached the great bridge outside Stratholme. The stone bridge remained unchanged, but the city beyond it was completely different.

Just as the others relaxed, Roderick sensed an unsettling presence beside him. He vigilantly scanned the surroundings, yet found nothing unusual. The priestess named Ysida Harmon seemed to sense something as well, staring toward an empty spot to the side.

A yellow, human-shaped ghost abruptly appeared before Ysida. Roderick reacted first, but Abbendis stopped him just as he was about to attack.

"He means no harm," Abbendis explained.

Roderick looked at the ghostly human figure and vaguely made out a tabard bearing a white sunburst against a black background. It was the ghost of a Silver Dawn warrior.

The priestess stood blankly before the ghost, tears streaming down her face. Before long, Ysida cast Holy Light. The ghost smiled kindly at them, then vanished into the air. His wish had been fulfilled; it was time for him to leave.

"He was my husband. After I was taken by the Undead, he tried to enter Stratholme, and then the enemy..." The priestess had only just escaped Stratholme before encountering such a tragedy.

Everyone sighed heavily. Abbendis patiently comforted the grieving priestess. They were not yet out of danger; only after returning to Tyr's Hand or Light's Hope Chapel