Astarion looked around. "It's been killed by punctures in its neck and devoid of blood. A vampire killed it. I didn't want to say anything because we have enough issues without chasing a creature of the night."

"Strange most vampires wouldn't settle for animals blood, much less would the be in the forest near an abandoned village." Wyll said.

"If your so worried I'll keep watch tonight." Astarion said.

Ruby looked back to the boar and Durge, but Durge had his gaze locked upon Astarion. Ruby couldn't help but it was like a predator sizing up his prey... or his competition.

Chapter 9 The Village

The party reached the top of the hill to find more bodies cut and gashed, "We're they looking for the grove?" Shadow heart asked as she rolled over one of the corpses.

"Most likely." Wyll said. "We should take what we can salvage, coin, food, cloth, weapons and armor, they were killed with goblin blades." He said as he kicked a goblins corpse over. "I'm not a fan of looting the dead, but we'll inform the druids and refugees so they can give them a semblance of a proper funeral." He said getting to work with Durge, Astarion and Gale, "Shadowheart as a cleric can you at least give them a small prayer?" Wyll asked. "For now We'll bury them off the side of the road. Keep the scavengers from eating the bodies... too quickly." In a forest like this they would most likely be dug up anyways.

"Very well. Thalia, Ruby search the ruined wagon over on the bridge, might find some useful things." Shadowheart said as she pulled the bodies to the side as Wyll began digging shallow graves.

The two youngest members of the group walked along the old stone Bridge to the broken wagon. Yanking the old traveling chests off the cart they found old silver ware and broken plates, gemstones and a old coin pouch. "How are you feeling?" Thalia asked Ruby. "You've been pale ever since we found Durge."

"I... killed a person... I've killed monsters but... never another person..." Ruby admitted. "Every turn we make... it's just more death, the man the dog was looking over, the people on the road. It's death at every corner."

Thalia put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I understand. I can feel it, your soul... it's your nature to care, to be compassionate, to be a hero... yet your in no different a scenario then before, just you crossed that barrier that would stop others... this Absolute is a danger to not just you, but your friends as well. And I think you'll be able to do what needs to be done."

"Thalia..." Ruby smiled as she took a deep breath. "I guess your right..."

""Of course I'm right. I'm a druid so I'm wiser then most." Thalia gave her a playful shove. "But seriously... you'll be alright. I have a feeling that we're going to quickly get in over our heads."

"What makes you say that?" Ruby asked.

"Well Rose... you see the Village there's goblins on the roof tops." She pointed through the gate in the distance.

"We're still really close to the Grove." Ruby said.

"Exatly... were gonna need to go kill them to get into the village. Let's tell the others."

the two of them met up with the rest as Wyll and Durge buried the last body. After telling them about the ambush they had spotted, Durge spoke up. "If Astarion could sneak one way, I could go the other... Gale, do you have a thunderwave scroll?"

"Yes, I do." Gale produced the parchment.

"Astarion, you are familiar with cast magic through scrolls?" Durge asked.

"Child's play. But what are you getting at?" The elf asked.

"You and I will sneak around to get up to the roof top. I have these two potions of invisibility. Once we're behind the goblins... we'll blast them down to the center of the road, and the others will finish them off." Durge said as he scratched a rough map of the entrance to the village.

"Excellent plan, Durge." Wyll patted the dragonborn on the back.

Ruby and Shadowheart hid by the right side of the gate. Gale, Wyll and Thalia took the other. Durge and Astarion popped the corks to their potions and downed them vanishing from sight.

Ruby peeked around the corner when from her sight she saw Astarion reapear as a wave of thunderous energy roared blasted two goblins into the road. A second later another blast smashed to other goblins who landed in a heap onto of the first two. Blood spurted from broken bones that had broken the skin.

Wyll dashed from cover his rapier piercing the throat of a goblin. It stumbled back before Shadowheart ran up driving her spear through its chest.

Gale launched a bolt of flame, burning a crater in another's chest before it too collapsed.

Thalia ran up her scimitar in hand lacerating a gash deep in a goblin womans chest that quickly turned rancid before it pulsed and the rot spread rapidly across the goblins body, fetid flesh falling off bone.

Ruby rushed in impaling the the last goblin on her scythe before ripping free. Blood dripping down the blade When wyll turned to the rest of the group. He spun on the spot and caught a flaming arrow inches from Thalia. Inside the building Durge stood on was a fifth goblin who cursed loudly.

Durged dropped through a hole in the roof and vanished from sight. Soon they heard a shrill scream of pain and what sounded like to Ruby, a electrical overload as blue light sparked out the busted wall of the building second floor.

Then came a sickening wet crack and ripping noises as the goblins screams got louder before it stopped. The sound of heavy foot steps on stone and Durge reappeared holding a goblin head covered in electrical burns, his arms and legs coated in blood. "Didn't die to the first hit..." He said tossing the head down. It hit a rock and cracked open mashing brain matter onto the dirt and flagstone used for the road.

Going through the goblins things they found a few coins and a key. Looking round the entrance of the village led them to a sleeping bugbear behind a building surrounded by empty bottles. Astarion knelt down and slash his throat. "Disgusting things goblinoids..." He said as it thrashed about holding it's neck. Heading deeper into the village a goblin was standing gaurd over a chest and some barrels. Wyll snuck up behind and blasted it in the back of the head.

Ruby tried to open the chest but found it locked."Here try the key." Durge said handing it to her. Cracking the chest open was some coins, a silver necklace and a leather helmet.

Ruby put it on her head and felt... faster. "Huh, magic helmet... wonder what other things we'll find."

Heading round the back of the towns apothecary, they easily dealt with more goblins before heading toward the shell of the destroyed school house. Hunkering down, they watched three orges eating something...

"By Baulduran... their eating a teifling..." Wyll said as the one ripped raw flesh from bone.

Thalia gripped her blade before pressing her palm to the ground. Roots growing out from her palm snaking under the rotten floorboards. They burst out, wrapping around the ogers legs, twisting over the torso, and clamping around their throat.

Durge and Shadowheart rushed out with their spears rushing the closest. Druge rammed it through the beasts knee before grabbing its face with his clawed hand as magic lightning surged in his palm. The beast let out a pained roar rasing club as Shadowheart drove her spear through its other leg. Bringing her sheild back, she drove the edge into the beasts chest as a burst of magic ripped the skin and muscle of the beast where it hit.

Astarion appeared behind the wounded ogre, driving his knife into its skull. The wounded thing threw up its arms before smashing down of Shadowheart. Bringing her sheild up, she caught the blow as the floorboards cracked under her. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to hold the blow.

Wyll dashed to the other one. Green mark appeared on the creatures skin as Wyll stabbed deep into it's stomach. Pulling the blade, Wyll spun with a flourish of his blade, slashing a deep gash across it's chest. Gale Unleashed a volley off flaming blasts into the orge Wyll faced. Three deep scorched marks ripped skin and fat from rib bone.

Ruby Grabbed Thalia and the two of them rushed the third. In a flash of Petals Ruby landed a have lacerating cut across the ogre from hip to shoulder as blood burst from the wound. Spinning Crescent Rose Ruby left a second deep cut across the stomach. Thalia Lashed out with her scimitar cutting the creatures thing before her second flourish cut left a bloody X cut. The wounds it had sustained turned putrid and bleed green ooze.

"Brothers!" The ogre roared slamming it's club down at Ruby. "Tonight we dine like kings!" The ogre Wyll and Gale Fought swung it's club as Wyll but a magic6sjild appeared from Gale Protecting the Blade of Frontiers.

Durge ripped the spear from the wound and planted both hands around the Ogres neck as a massive surge of lightning ravaged in two thunderous pulses. The Ogre fell to it's hands and knees struggling to get back up when Astarion drove his dagger into it's spine.

Shadowheart turned help Wyll launching a bolt of radiant light right into his foes chest. Wyll Dodged a blow from the club and drove his blade into the creatures heart, pushing it back to fall over a school desk in a bloody heap.

Gale Pointed his staff at the Ogre Ruby and Thalia fought as a bolt of lightning connected the staff to the beast as it thrashed in pain. Thalia Slipped under the wounded Ogre's swing and drove swung her blade cutting open it's back. Again as the blade slouched through living tissue the edge left a, necrotic and rancid wound.

Ruby spun Crescent Rose around hooking the ogre on the shoulder and with two shots drove the blade through to the sternum. Ripping her weapon free the ogre fell to his knees then his face.

Wyll sat back on a stair, wiping sweat from his brow. "Shit... Hopefully, there aren't many more ogres to deal with." He said, sheathing his sword. "Hopefully, the bodies will attack predators looking for an easy meal who will dissuade the goblins from making another move on the village."

Durge lifted a dented tiara from the ogre Ruby and Thalia fought. "Hmmm... this grants magical intelligence..." He sniffed it before holding it at arms length. "I'll wash ot at camp." Finding nothing but some old jewelry, the group headed towards the twon wind mill.

"Help me!" A man shouted, a gnome was tied to the spinning sail of the wind mill. A group of goblins and Worgs laglughed and threw stones at the gnome as the group approached.

Their leader turned to the group, and as Ruby looked as the goblins diminutive size, a mark glowed over his eye as power coursed from her tadpole. Authority. "Ah lookie here boys, more playthings. I suggest you drop your weapons or we'll gut you."

Ruby focused on the feeling of her tadpole, reaching out to the goblin. "You will leave and return to your camp, go." She said with more control in her words than she had ever had.

"A True soul!" I'm sorry your grace, I didn't mean you any harm!" The goblins force scattered and ran out of the village.

"That was... new..." Shadowheart remarked. "We should be cautious of any abilities the tadpoles give us."

"I think we should try to experiment with them to understand what's the deal with our Guests." Gale reasoned.

"It's... useful." Durge said calmly.

Wyll walked up into the windmill and pulled the break, leaver stopping the sails.

Ruby walked up to the gnome. "Cut me loose." She easily cut the bindings of the curious grey skinned gnome.

"Maggra cammera... blasted things... well get on with it." He said.

"I'm sorry get on with what?" Ruby asked.

"You freed me, now your gonna extort me, that's usually how these things go." The gnome said accussenly.

"You don't owe us anything, we're happy to help." Wyll said. "We have bigger concerns then shaking down innocent strangers for coin with a goblin horde so close by."

"Nothing?! Really, well I must be on my way again."

"Wait it's dangerous out here, what are you out here for?" Ruby asked. "And we never got your name sir."

"Ah... well, my name is Barcus Wroot. I'm hear looking for a friend of mine. I visited him in Baldurs Gate a few days ago and I found this." He held up a bloody amulet. "I have reason to suspect he might be in the underdark so I'm searching for a way down into the caves. Now With that, I must be off, If we are too meet again, well we will have met again." He said turning away. "Oh and you can have my pack, if you can find it, it's half the reason I was caught."

Once Barcus was out of sight, Wyll spoke up, We should head back to the grove, We'll search the buildings tomorrow.

Hey chapter 9 is done, I feel like this story is really connecting with the audience.

Ruby Rose stats, class, and racial abilities

Class Fighter lv 4

Subclass Champion

Great weapon fighting style (rerolls one's and twos on damage)

Hp: 36 (3 d12 plus 0)

Strength: 18 (base 17)

Dexterity: 16 (base 15)

Constitution:10

Wisdom: 8

Intelligence:12

Charisma: 10

Race Human Variant (Remnant)

Feats:

Ability score improvement: plus 1 str plus 1 Dex

Savage Attacker : Reroll damage once take highest

Base Speed: 40 ft Total speed: 50 ft

Aura: 10 temp hit points per level (40 Thp) (resets on long rest)

Semblance: Petal Dash; Dash action is now a bonus action

Improved Critical: reduces critical requirements by 1 (19-20)

Action Surge: Gain an extra action

Gear:

Crescent Rose: 2 to damage and rolls to hit, 2 d 12 slashing plus strength. 2 d 8 Piercing plus Dex when firing.

All but Ruby Rose have disadvantage with this weapon.

Elemental bullets: 2d4 elemental damage added to ranged attacks.

Two-handed, heavy, extra reach

Cleave lacerate trip enemies, peircing shot

1 Half plate armor: Ac 18 (16 plus 2 dex) Medium armor. Reduces piercing damage by 1.

Haste Helm: Plus 10 ft to movement first three turns of combat (Effectively just 10 ft because I'm not drawing out combat for more then 3 rounds except for major bosses) plus one dex save