Please keep in mind that the stories I post here are considered "rough drafts" and will be different from the "finised product" but I like to post them here to share what I am working on and to show how I "interpet the AD&D 1E/OSRIC gamme world.
Abbe Micheal stood at his window taking the homing pigeon that had landed just moments ago into his hands to remove the message attached to it's foot. He gently placed the pigeon inside the cage with her mate to rest and unrolled the slip of paper. He paced absently to his desk in his modest room to decipher the abbreviated code.
He knew this code, it was one he used with contacts outside of the church. Ah, he looked at the end of the message and saw the signature initials as that of the First House Magic User he had made acquaintance of about six months prior. That would be his new friend Jolly, who was decidedly not so jolly.
It took him just a couple of minutes to decipher the message and a dire message it was indeed. Jolly was calling for immediate help in the town of Aldisburgh. He claimed there was a zombie breakout at the cemetery that was spreading rapidly and the zombies were...eating people? That couldn't be right. Micheal got up immediately and turned to gather a pack that was already prepared. He picked up a second pack that had some gear for a few days of travel and left directly from his room and headed toward the Monsignor's suite.
"Your grace, I do believe this message is sincere and not likely to be a hoax or in error." Abbe Micheal replied to Monsignor Denali who wanted to know if he felt the message from his young Abbe's association, the Magic User Jolly, might be in error. "If this report is accurate Micheal, then there is a grave situation indeed, please pardon my unfortunate pun." The Monsignor stated. He was worried by the very idea that undead were not only reproducing so rapidly. He was terrified at the notion that they were cannibalistic and apparently autonomous,
"I agree your Grace." Micheal spoke quietly. "I would like to go to investigate and assist in quelling the evil by your leave." "I suspected you would Micheal." The Monsignor sighed. "You are still young and while more experienced in facing undead than many others in the same station, It would seem more appropriate to send someone of a higher standing in the Church to get this outbreak under control." The Monsignor sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, the priests I would prefer to send are already out on important assignments. Much as I worry, it seems you are the next most experienced that we have to send." He turned his back to the young Abbot and reached into a dark glossily polished dark wooden closet. He pulled out two sacks and turned back to face Micheal. "I want you to take these with you, I have a feeling they will be needed more than we would like them to be."
Micheal accepted the sacks and looked into them. The first held a large number of small silver holy symbols, in the form of a circle with two crossed bars in the center. All blessed in special rites by the Monsignor himself. The other sack contained a number of small vials of Holy Water, also blessed by the Monsignor in the same rituals. Micheal had noticed there were several such small sacks taking up two of the large shelves in the closet. The Monsignor must hold multiple blessing rituals each month to amass so many at a time.
"Micheal, when you get there, should you find that the situation is in any way too much for you and your friend to deal with, and sadly, I expect it will be, I want you to send a messenger pigeon to me immediately. You may take one from the church tower before you leave." Micheal was very grateful for the Monsignor's care and advice. "Thank you Sir. I will send notice immediately if it seems dire."
"And Micheal," the Monsignor looked up, into the young Abbot's deep green eyes. "You will take a support team from the 'Special Forces' area of the Honor Guard Hall when you leave. Take no fewer than four of the best they have on hand but do not delay waiting for others to return. I fear our neighbors in Aldisburgh don't have much time ahead of them." Micheal took note of the concern in the older man's face, bowed and turned to leave.
Young Abbe Micheal, young to already be a Drei Priest and already permanently assigned to the Supernatural Forces arm of the Church of Yahweh. Young Abbe Micheal stood in the doorway of the Special Teams hall, looking around the large room lined with benches along it's walls. It had a small number of Special Forces members in it engaged in a variety of activities. Some were sparring. Others were cleaning, oiling and maintaining weapons and equipment. Still others were engaged in conversation in small clusters with church abbots, undoubtedly being educated on various supernatural enemies and how to best counter them. These were the best that the church could hire and train to support the priests in their efforts to defeat Evil in all it's forms.
Micheal entered the hall and made straight to a table where an officious young abbot was sitting with a number of books and papers spread out in front of him. "Hello Abbe", Micheal spoke softly so as not to frighten the distracted abbot. The abbot looked up at him and smiled widely. "Hello yourself Abbe, how can I be of service to you today?" and he put his quill and papers down to give Micheal his full attention. "I am being sent on a special mission immediately and the Monsignor told me that I need to come here and get a team of four Special Forces guards to accompany me.
The middle aged looking abbot seated at the table listened attentively and nodded his head as he took mental note of Micheal's needs. "May I ask the nature of the enemy you face Abbe or is it known?" He asked Micheal. Micheal replied to him, "The enemy appears to be a new kind of undead. Specifically autonomous zombies." He spoke the last in a whisper as if merely saying the words were too frightening to be heard aloud.
"Ah, how terrible, and dangerous indeed." the Special Forces Abbot commented. "I believe I have some guards here who should be very effective in a situation like this for you. Let me get them assembled."
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