By Nerdude and Arkamegeddoncat


[u][b]Eveline de Ficquelmont[/b][/u]
Bits of silent chatter among the other party members gave Eveline the little push needed to continue the short exchange into a conversation. She had felt like the odd one out starting one whilst everyone else had remained silent, but with that sentiment now gonoe she asked the man about the things on her mind. "Sir Dharrec Albennes. Your accent. You're not from around these parts?"


[u][b]Dharrec Albannes[/b][/u]
"No." Dharrec replied, turning his head to look back to the woman as the group came upon a fork in the road. "Truthfully, I've only been here for a couple of months. But I can say with certainty that Cartelom is faring far better than the home that I left behind." He continued, the group keeping to the leftmost path.


[u][b]Eveline de Ficquelmont[/b][/u]
Eveline left a window of silence to think about Dharrec's words. He's not from around here. His accent without a doubt from Mynelis, safe to conclude he came from around there. But he had neglected to share that information. He had given her an answer she had heard from many in Cartelom, and it wasn't much different from what she herself had said to most. Where ever he was from things were going much same as in all of Rhogein. But it felt rude to pry for details. People weren't too keen on sharing the stories of what forced them to Cartelom. If Dharrec wanted to he would've. Most people didn't want to know either. Most shared memories of similar nature and were very much aware nobody desired to relive the horrors. While she had initially wanted to know more about the man she would share the mission with, it was perhaps better to leave those questions for a later time. And if he wanted to know more about her, he would've asked. Or so she assumed. It would be easier to read the man if it wasn't for the helm hiding his face.

"So Sir Dharrec Albennes. Anything you can share about the creatures walking around these parts?" It had been a while since she had last seen any of the monstrous creatures loitering about outside the city walls. Perhaps now is the time to get her memory refreshed and maybe catch some new information, considering she felt any other topic would be out of place right now.


[u][b]Dharrec Albannes[/b][/u]
Dharrec gave the woman an apprehensive look through the holes of his visor. When he turned his head back to look forward, though, he figured it would be better to inform her then to keep quiet and withhold potentially life-saving information. He did not wish to discuss the dead while in such a vulnerable state, as he was one of a number who believed it was bad luck to do so... but it was a harmless enough question for her to ask.

"There have been some unconfirmed sightings, but the most frightening encounters have been with Ghouls or Dread Knights." Dharrec started, resting a hand on the head of his flanged mace. "I've not encountered a Ghoul myself, but the stories I've heard are all... uncomfortable. They like to watch from afar, waiting for their chance to feast. I heard the first few expeditions were attacked in their sleep after they made camp in what they believed to be a safe place, never knowing what the culprit was or why they had been spared. Eventually they saw it... its eyes peering back at them from some brush. They say its face was that of an old friend's, but... I don't know what could've caused their transformation into a Ghoul. At the end of the day, they prefer prey that doesn't fight back... so as long as there's someone to keep watch, they'll keep their distance." Dharrec explained, scanning the horizon as he finished in a reactionary way.

"Dread Knights, on the other hand, I have encountered. They are not to be trifled with... they are the reason I now carry a mace with me whenever I venture out." He added, his voice trailing off in a way that suggested he wished to say no more of it.


[u][b]Eveline de Ficquelmont[/b][/u]
Even though unable to see the man's face, an air of unease oozed through the slits of his visor after hearing her question. It hadn't been that weird of a question she thought. Or was it? Perhaps it implied she was as green if not greener than she appeared. Being paired with someone as green as she unintentionally made herself out to be couldn't be a comforting thought. While attentively listening to Dharrec's words, which sounded more like a story specifically intended to scare her, albeit it more or less summarized, she revisited memories of her own. They were more vivid than she'd like them to be, but the vividness she needed. There was once instance of a human-like creature distantly following Maarten and her while running through the fields chased by undead. Back then it didn't raise any thoughts in particular. Too occupied trying to survive. But thinking back to it now it did strike her as particularly odd that just that one had been following but never got involved. It scared her these things had any semblence of intelligence.

He mentioned the "Dread Knights", something Maarten had mentioned briefly touched on but never got into detail about. The way Dharrec ended his sentence implied he was done talking. She eyed the mace. It seemed heavy but rather effective and straight forward in combat. But why did "Dread Knights" motivate him to have one on him? What was a Dread Knight even? Why hadn't anyone told her about the details? A better question was why hadn't she asked anyone? Eveline's curiosity was close to reaching peak levels, but bothering the man any further seemed like it would rub him the wrong way, if she hadn't already done that. She slowed her pace a little until she was walking next to Maarten. She spoke quietly, hoping Dharrec wouldn't overhear too well. "Say Sir Beldam," She said. "You encountered a Dread Knight. What are they like? How do you fight them?"

"Ugly." Maarten grunted, eyes fixed on his surroundings, constantly scanning for anything in the slightest unusual. At least that's what Eveline liked to think. She couldn't see Maarten's face behind his helm but was sure it looked the same as ever. Eveline was starting to regret not buying a helm. "Thick chitinous growths protect the flesh. Blade can't cut or pierce. Blunt 'n heavy is better. Bludgeon it to a pulp." Maarten pointed at the mace of the man in front. "It dented and broke shields with a mere blow. Broke bone through steel plate. Tossed grown men of their feet." Dread crept up on her feeling awfully unprepared to fight or even survive a dread knight. Liches, skeletons and ghouls she was sure she could face alone. One on one that is. Two might be pushing her luck. But Dread Knights sounded like beyond a human's ability to beat. "Fight em in formation. Distract it, enable hits from the side. Joints first. Cripple it. If alone you run 'n regroup." Eveline concluded it might be best to leave fighting one to the others. She was clearly under equipped and probably lacked the strength to even damage it with the right weaponry. Her lack of armor would probably make it easier to avoid a blow, but a single hit would lead to certain death. Not worth the risk if running and surviving was an alternative. Best protect their backs from the less dangerous abominations. Secretly she wanted to encounter one. Evidently not to fight one but to see one with her own eyes.