T was on a night like this I remember, my Father told us of the Highlands in their youth. We sat around many a campfire and listened to the old campaigner. He told a tale of many hundreds of years ago. He always said, on nights when the wind gusted in great gales... when the moon dimmed a bit and when the sounds of Huli hounds could be heard in the distance... the dead walked again...
He was on a campaign in the Northern Reaches, a bad battle that was the dead themselves were said to be stealing children from the Gryphons Aeries in the north. My father and his war band followed the paths to our friends and allies, the Gryphons of the High Reaches. Hyeee the leader, told them of the dead that stalked the night, stealing eggs from the nests and killing his brave warriors. So with Gryphon warriors at their backs, and bared steel, my father and his band walked into the night.
Traveling for days it seemed, they came upon an ancient graveyard in the pass. No fur had walked there in thousands of years it seemed. Stones and objects worn by the winds and time, stood mutely as they stalked the force behind the raids. But a light shone from a temple in the middle of the yard, and it was there my father led his band Slowly and surely they stalked their way to the temple, bared steel glinting in the moonlight. Suddenly! around them the earth vomited forth skeletons and ghouls, rotting corpses of every description!!! The Gryphons screed in a warriors cry and dove to protect their friends! The fight was ON!
Highland steel flashed and clove in the night, talons drove deep into undead bodies! My fathers warband formed a circle, the Gryphons diving and swooping, picking evil things up and dropping them over cliffsides! Slowly, ever so slowly, they fought their way to the steps of the temple! My Father and his companion rushed to the doors, breaking the old wood in with paws shod in mithril! The band and Gryphons rushed into the temple..looking around for the source of evil! An evil cleric! Stood at the unholy alter, raising his skeletal paws to the fire that burned in front of him! Chanting words unheard since the Unclean had swept out of the north centuries ago! They rushed towards him with snarls and howls of rage, claidghmors and dirks at the ready! The undead outside were forcing the valiant warriors back into the temple! Warriors who fought vainly to give my father some time!
A ClansBear leapt over the altar, slicing his huge broadsword down into the evil thing! Cleaving it in two! But still the wicked thing lived! My father searched for a scroll or anything to send the evilspawn thing back to where it came from! A ClansCat yelled, a scroll of crumbling parchment in her hand! She unrolled it carefully and began to read the long lost words..the magic in it making it possible...A howl of horror like you've never heard came from the evil things mouth! The dead outside yowled and screamed! The noise was deafening!
But still the brave ClansCat read on!
Her paws trembling as she came to the final words. With the scroll read, a light filled the place blinding all who stood within and without! Suddenly..silence...My fathers band looked around, but no where was an undead to be seen. Then all eyes turned to the door! A figure, shining gently walked to the altar and kneeled before the ClansCat who had read the scroll. The words were like a whisper on the wind...Thank you..from ages of servitude to the evil priest..thank you for releasing us...The long dead, have awaited this restful sleep..and now, we return to our hallowed ground...and the figure turned and walked away, fading in the night...
And that, was how the Clans and Gryphons, forever sealed their friendship to each other, and to the lands of the High Reaches.