[b] Winter Watch [/b] 

Even among the freezing cold and blinding snowfall, Winter Watch was unmistakable. The Nightsguard had cut down all the trees within ten miles of the castle and the stout fortress sat on a high hill commanding a view for miles around. Its' sturdy stones had guarded the North long before dragons had ever flown over the frozen landscape. There were almost a thousand men garrisoned in Winter Watch at all times, minus those black brethren who traveled the countryside. There were just more than hundred night brothers and sisters accounted for, there had been no word from Lord Commander Bofur Fortinbras for more than a month. No ravens had flown back from the castle, no mages had replied on the sending stones, and every messenger had gone missing. The storms had likely contributed to the silence but did not explain the complete lack of communication. 

And under the dark clouds and white moon Ser Jennifer and her men saw why. As they approached the castle they could see no torches burning in the night and as they emerged from the thick forest, land surrounding the castle was a killing field. Bodies littered the approach, almost as far as the eye could see. Men, horses, and monsters. Furry frost trolls, giant jotuns, horned ogres and more sprawled dead on the ground next to black brethren. Spears and arrows and blades remained stuck fast or gripped in dead fingers. There a group of black brothers had their throats ripped out or their guts slashed out, the werebear next to them crushed under a boulder. There several bodies were just dried husks surrounding the burned carcass of a robed figure. One spot was just a giant red stain and puree of organs and bones under a twenty foot giant with arrows piercing every inch of his gargantuan body. There were dozens, hundreds, of scenes with the same brand of horror. The carnage was moderately covered with a few inches of snowfall. 

The Nightsguard had fought and fought, there were more dead creatures than dead ravens but there must of been more than two hundred black garbed corpses. The Northern Nightsguard had defended their castle against jotuns, svartalves, drow, trolls, ogres, grendlekin, giants,  vampyr, werebeasts, and many more kinds of fell creatures and dread beasts. There were other human bodies, without black cloaks or black robes or black armor. There were robed mages, fur-coated archers, and plated warriors, men and women both. And many of them. But none wore a device or emblem, no flags or banners flew on the field besides tattered Nightsguard banners. Who were these mystery men? Mercenaries? Raiders? In league with all manner of beasts? 

Ser Jennifer called an end to the march half-way through the killing field. The castle was eerily silent, even as the silent screams of the dead etched every corpse. There were no animals and even the wind seemed to shun this place. The lady knight surveyed her forces and said, "I will lead the main host further on. We will then split into two groups, one to surround the fortress while the other enters through the gates. Another smaller detachment will enter through the underground tunnels the ravens built in case of emergency. Red Snow and Sister Alyss have the command of that detachment. We will all meet near the inner keep. Any black brothers you find alive will be tended to. Anything else will be cut down." Ser Erik, grunted and his large human frame morphed into an even larger furry bulk with the horns of a bull, claws of a wolf, and tusks of a hog. Red Snow drew up his crimson hood as Sister Alyss, the Nightsister who had brought Tori along checked her daggers. 

The adventurers had the choice of joining either the clandestine team or the vanguard. Once groups were chosen, the host marched on to the gates while Sister Alyss lead a small group to find the escape tunnel. It was hidden in the nearby forest in the form of an old tree. Alyss knocked a tune on the old wood and the trunk retracted, the roots moving to show stairs leading underground. Alyss drew a dagger while shining a glowstone and walked in, Red Snow with a nocked arrow besides her. Meanwhile, the main host saw the castle clearer. The towers and battlements were heavily damaged, boulders embedded in the walls and the castle partially dismantled. The Nightsguard had a detachment of gargoyles who would awaken at night to defend them as well as golems at the gates. A pair of golems had been reduced to stone piles while all the gargoyle roosts were either empty or sat upon by rubble. 

A frozen moat surrounded the castle and several bodies bobbed in the water, as the cold once again froze it over. However a long icy path had been formed to the gates which were smashed open and clogged with yet more bodies. Drawing her sword, Jennifer lead her men in. The mounted party and foot soldiers entered the courtyards and saw even more devastation and carnage, here the bodies of ravens numbered even greater than outside the walls with even more monstrous corpses besides them. The large tower keep had could be seen farther along. Erik sniffed the air as Jennifer looked around. The mess hall, black smith, and stables were all burnt down. Not a living soul besides them could be heard. 

More bodies in anonymous cloaks and armor were espied and Erik finally said, "I smell many things. Elf, dwarf, man, troll. Many kinds of blood have been spilled here." Jennifer nodded, "Yes, we need to find survivors. Split up and-" she never got to finish as suddenly dozens of the mysterious raiders were suddenly not so dead and jumped to their feet brandishing weapons and shouting. Arrows started flying from across the courtyard on the roofs of the surrounding buildings and many kinds of shrieks, roars, and cries echoed as monsters clawed their way from under the snow or burst out of doors leading to the castle's innards. 

The gathered mages spread their arms and shielded the host from the arrows in a large dome, but the hostile swords crossed through easily enough, flashing steel. Jennifer shouted, "To arms! For the Empire!" Erik roared and charge as the Imperial Host meet their foe head on. Steel flashed as they fought against monster and man alike, keeping careful to stay within the dome or else be shot by the hail of arrows. For the moment they held fast, but more and more seemed to be coming and they were surrounded. Someone needed to take care of the archers or they would be pinned down and falter. Meanwhile twelve foot frost troll leveled the trunk of a tree and swung it down against the dome, roaring as he tried to smash their protection away. 

Down in the tunnel Sister Alyss saw why none had come this way, the passage was absolutely choked with bodies. It seemed as if the secret passage had been compromised. They were under the castle after several minutes when Alyss held up a fist, throwing her glowstone on the path ahead. Red Snow drew his bow, "What is it?" Alyss gritted her teeth, "I know that smell. [i]Draugr.[/i]" The stench of decay suddenly rose to choke the breath out of them right before they heard an inhuman chorus of howling. Then eyes, eyes bluer than any mortals. And rank upon rank of dead things. Shambling corpses with rotted armor and rusted weapons. Draugr often haunted the barrows in the North, but there should be none here. They saw dozens. Red Snow loosed arrow after arrow, felling many but more kept coming. Alyss slashed her twin daggers in a flurry of slashes and stabs, black blood staining the walls. Above all the rest a seven foot corpse slowly advanced dragging a huge hammer the size of a regular man. Red Snow shouted, "Kill them all! Again! Do you want to be buried here?!?"