With a quiet drawn out moan, Nil melts down the side of the mausoleum and pools into a black puddle of cloth among the snow at its base. "The Drow," Balen to the rescue, "What do you know?" "They tried to kill us with Magic Sunshine Bullets," Nil adds from the snow. "They've been watching your tower for weeks," Gorloks eyes narrow, "As have I from below." "Why is everyone rhyming?" Winter groans. "You watched?" Now Balen growls. "I still think Balen is playing us," Melinoa towers over the Dwarf, "We should be wary." "Apologies, but we assumed Edgar had sent them to protect you from, well..." Sal trails off gesturing to Nil. "Balen always preferred to work behind those in power," Winter emerges from behind the knight, admiring his armor, "Sal seems sincere however." "Whatever!" Winnow cuts in, "We're all on the same side now, right Countess Chocula?" "I like her," Scylla chuckles from atop the mausoleum. "Eddie and the Aunties are coming for the city," Nil ignores the cacophony, "I kinda pissed them off too, sorry." "Fantastic," Gorlok sighs and pinches his brow, "This is why we kept you on a short leash-" A vase from a nearby statue falls and everyone turns to the sound of shattering porcelain where Autumn stands, smiling beneath her hat. "Oops." "Just the wind," Gorlok lowers his weapon and turns back, raising a brow to Nil who has somehow turned a lighter shade of snow white pale, "What do you see?" "Spirits," Nil whispers, eyes falling to the snow as the others return to their discussion. "Who is this?" Ann asks of Winnow, who sounds so far away. "[i]We'll look into the Drow, you focus on-[/i]" "One of those taken off the streets by Gorlok," Melinoa points to the creature on the wall above Nil, "That one had him turn them with vampiric alchemy to act as fodder." "[i]-been raiding military bases an-[/i]" "She and a few dozen others," Scylla now, "While we attacked the city they were set loose within, bloodstarved and mad. Most didn't survive." "[i]Miss Volariden? What are you-[/i]" "Little wonder why they hate us," Ann sighs, turning to Nil with disgust, and the creature hisses. "[i]Annie! Wake up damn it![/i]" Attention returning to the meeting, Nil looks up from the patch of snow she'd been blankly staring at for the past few minutes. Sal, Gorlok, and Winnow stand with their backs to her and weapons drawn while Balen kneels beside her. Beyond them a wall of flesh and bone, the risen dead shoulder to shoulder, surrounding them and shambling closer. "Sorry, lost focus," Nil waves her hand and the undead begin shambling into the mausoleum. Bright flashes of violet light pulse from below as they enter a teleportation circle she'd prepared in advance to transport the small horde, and after the last has past the trio lower their guard. "So she always been this crazy?" Winnow nervously breaks the silence. "I thought so," Nil responds, staring straight at Autumn, whom no one else can see, "but now I'm not so sure." "I'll call if I dig up anything on the Drow, Balen," Gorlok growls once more before turning to leave. "Mine'll keep their eyes and ears open on the streets," and with another mock salute Winnow follows the old Half Orc. A moment passes before Sal finally speaks, "If it isn't too much trouble, Lord Balen, would you be willing to host my men within your tower? In exchange for our protection of course." "Return with us and we'll iron out the details," Balen gives Nil a look and she waves him on, then the pair disappear within the structure. Alone once more, Nil goes about collecting her wards, ignoring the specters haunting her. Then returning to the mausoleum she begins dismantling the final string of enchanted bones. But something is amiss. All fell silent as she passed the threshold. Then she hears the increasing sound of flying insects, buzzing louder until it's deafening. Peaking around the corner she sees her reflections, mouths agape, forms faint and rotting as they float above the snow and stare wide eyed and blank. Plucking the final string the silence returns and the spirits are gone. Nil pockets the bones and produces a small sack of powder, then tosses a pinch as she steps into the circle and vanishes. As the powder falls to the ground the circle flickers and fades, and the mausoleum is dark once more.