Suddenly you all awaken abruptly. You’re still in your room in Nicos’ inn, and it is still night. However, as you compose yourselves and try to grasp that it was all merely a dream, you find that your sheets are soaked in sweat, and it slowly dawns on you that you all participated in the same dream! You check your equipment, but find that nothing is missing. The things you found during your dream are also not present, obviously. When you check for wounds, you find that while you have healed none, neither have you taken any new wounds during your dream, at least physically...

The dream may be over, but its implications horrify you, and you wish you could stop thinking about it. Obviously you find that you cannot, and you soon realize that you will find no rest in the next couple of hours, as no matter how tired you are, you simply dare not fall asleep in the darkness again soon...

"Who lives in that tower? Well, "Doc"  Eirus Fhalu lives there. They say that he is a wizard who is doing all sorts of research, you know! Actually, most people here are quite proud to have a man like this amidst us... He is a nice person, who is conducting research in order to help people with all sorts of diseases and make cures for them; he is definitely a good person to have as a friend if you get into trouble one day!”

"Don't worry. He is a good fellow. He isn't doing any harm, he is just going about his research and doing more than his fair share for the village. Once there was this group of  people traveling, well I might say rushing, into the village. They were looking for a cleric. They ran into some trouble on the road and one of their friends was seriously wounded. As you can see, there are no clerics around here who can help us or other people who are in need of immediate help. They said that it was a matter of life and death, and indeed the poor fellow was in a serious condition. Eirus walked past and asked whether something was wrong. They said that their comrade needed help quickly or he would die. Eirus told them to bring their friend to his tower. Don't ask me what happened and what he did, but he had the guy up and running in no time. We knew he could do some things to heal people, because we had seen it before when Ichale fell down from a tree and broke his leg, but this was amazing. I think they later came back and gave him some treasure they found when they came back from their business".

A little old man sits in the inn, drinking beer. He wears  the clothes of a peasant; he is small, but that is probably because he is quite old. He has got a bit of hunced back and is a little unstable, but has a friendly face. He also has with some scars on both his face and hands which attest to the stories of his adventures.

He apparently concludes that you are a group of adventurers, because he slowly stumbles over to your table and asks, “Would you valiant adventurers mind if I join you?” Before you can answer, he helps himself to chair and sits down, then continues before you can interrupt him, “...For you remind me of the time when I, too, was traveling and looking for adventure."

At this point Nicos returns to your table, and says, "Oh no, not again Balri…Leave those people alone". When he says it, he does so with a big smile on his face, though. In fact, the atmosphere in the inn, and in the village in general, is very friendly.

The old man then begins to tell you the tales of his adventures, “Have you heard about the Lost Mines? No? Well, let me tell you. This story was told to me on one of my own travels. I was with quite a group, you know, I think there were 6 of us ... no, 5 ... no, it was 6 ...”

He pauses for some time, as he tries to remember just how many people this group really consisted of. Eventually he gives up and makes a dismissing gesture as he continues, “Aahhhh well, it doesn't matter that much, how many we were. I have seen people come and go. Some of them I lost contact with; others died, unfortunately enough, during our travels. Huh, were does time go.. I envy you, you know! You've got your whole lives in front of you, while the only thing that I have left are my memories. Talking about memories, ...". He pauses for a moment,  "I remember this tale about a sword, powerful enough to ...  what was it again? I can't remember. You have to forgive me, my memory isn't what it used to be. Do you know that I was known for my memory when I was your age? Yeeees, it was quite little trickster, you know. But that is a whole other story. What was I telling you?”

During the old man’s stories the bar fills up with people who come to have drink after a working all day on the field. Stories are being told, jokes are being made and you’re offered a couple of beers by the workers.

“Ah yes, the Mines and the sword. You will have to help me, because my memory isn't what it used to be… Well the story of the mines was told to me when I was traveling with a group of other people who wanted to look for adventure. I can't remember what was told now.. Let me think."

He waits for a few minutes... “I can't honestly remember what was being said about these mines... Oh , my memory ... It is not what it used to be, once I was known for my memory, you know... I remember another story about a sword called “Rock...”. Well, “Rock” something... Hmm, or may it was “Stone” something… Anyway, we heard stories about this sword and we decided to try and find it, but never succeeded. This is the legend which I heard was this...”

At this point, it seems as if Balri doesn’t have any problems with his memory... at first...

“Hundreds of years ago, the sword was used by a paladin called Oliver Attleson. He fought to defend the city of Corunglain against the hordes of invading goblinoids. Eventually, the city was overrun by the orcs despite his efforts, though, and the sword was lost...”

“Actually, during my travels I’ve heard stories about other swords, similar to that ‘Rock’ or ‘Stone’-sword Attleson was supposed to have wielded, I ... I forgot what was said about them. I think that it was said that these swords belonged together, or something. Unfortunately I never held one of these swords, although I spend a life time looking for them, ... a life time, ... such a long time and I never even saw one of these swords. Make sure you don't waste your lives chasing legends and tales. Won't do you any good. What was I saying again? Oh yes, the swords.  I think there were eight of them, no ... I am sorry there were five ... No. Oohh I can't remember. My memory! I used to be known for my memory, you know.. People say that this is all just a legend now. I think I have to agree with that one. I never really heard anything about it. I mean ... I heard stories of course, but I never saw this sword myself. There are things that we have found, however, but I will tell you that another time...I am off to bed now. It is rather late for me, you know. Sometimes I envy you young people. You still have your entire lives before you, while I have just my memories to comfort me. That is the way things go in life, I guess. I just thank Tyche that I have reached this age and the she has smiled a little upon me. I just wish that my memory would be better."

After this he stumbles out the tavern. Nicos comes up to you and says:

" I am sorry that this happened. I promised you a nice room and a quite night. I didn't know Balri was going to be around. He is got a nose for these things. He is always there when travelers, the few we get, come here. He always tells them these stories. That is probably because we don't listen anymore, because we have heard them all hundreds of times. Don't pay attention to him, because I think he may just have made up most of these stories. Or maybe he heard them somewhere and tells them as if he had been through them himself. He always had quite a lively imagination and I don't know whether what he tells is true. Here have another drink, on the house. What would you like?"

“You want to hear more stories from old Balri? Ah, you’re too kind, my young friends... Let me think... Hmmm, I remember a story my father once told me. It was very long ago, and since I didn’t experience it myself, I’m not at all sure about any of this, but it’s an good story anyway, though a bit sad...

Long ago on a bright day when the villagers were working in the field as always, a warrior came stumbling out of the forest... his armor, so they say, was tattered and in ruin, and blood streamed down the side of his face. One of the villagers went to him. He had apparently lost his shield and his armor was ruined, but even though he was mortally wounded, he held himself with pride and rejected all offers of help...

You know, I guess I remember that story because I grew up hearing it and always wanted to be like that man, even if he never existed and it’s all just a tall tale, he still sounds very noble and heroic, eh? Just the very image of the man helped me on my own travels and times of trouble on many occasions, you know. And I have known a few... hmmm, now I’m just a little old man. Never mind. Still, you might get as much from the story as I have... Well, maybe I should finish it.

The villagers brought the wounded warrior inside and placed him in a bed, hoping that he would recover. For days he was confused and talked all sorts of nonsense which none understood, since it was barely more than a whisper.  Everybody feared he was dying, so several of the young men tried to back-track his trail in order to find out what had happened to him, but they never discovered anything... and some of them never returned! Or so the story goes… I don’t remember it all, but they say some of the young men disappeared in the forest back then and were never found, and it hung over the village like a heavy fog for a time. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the warrior died from his wounds a few days later. I guess they were just too severe. Well, at least they managed to give the warrior a proper burial...”

The path to the tower leads off the road that leads into the village. It is quite a narrow, winding  path and not well maintained. After about 35 minutes you arrive at the tower which appears as you pass a sharp bend in the path.

The tower itself isn’t that impressive, actually. It is round and three stories high. Moss covers the bottom of the tower.

Entering the tower, you see a large hall with stairs leading to the first floor and doors to the right and left. Eirus Fhalu leads you to the room to the right. "Welcome to my tower. This is my home and my labarotory. If you would come with me, we can sit down and have a drink or something."

You enter a fairly large room, lavishly furnished. There are also a bookcases full of books. In the corner of the room stands a big table with all sorts of weird looking instruments on it. "This is my study", Eirus explains. "Here I keep books that I find invaluable to my researches. I also meet with the people who have appointments with me here. You know, I sometimes help people when they have ailments. Most of the time it’s nothing serious, but sometimes I come across things that I need to write down, so they can help me with my research. This also brings me to the reason why I asked you to come here. Sorry to be so blunt, but I don't have much time ... Oh, where are my manners...? What would you like to drink?" After asking each of you what you would like to drink, he excuses himself for a moment and fetches the drinks for you.

While he is gone, you take a moment to look around the room and at his books. The bookcases are filled with books on anatomy, herbs, healing with herbs, and all sorts of books on medicines. Funnily enough, no books on magic are found. Also, the skulls of some animals lie in the bookcases. As you’re looking around, Eirus returns with all your drinks.

"Sorry, for the interruption.” He passes around the drinks and then sits down with his own. “Now, the reason why I asked you to come here, is that I would like to ask you to find some special berries for me. You are probably thinking ‘can’t he do that himself’ and you are right of course, but as I said I don't have much time because I am virtually on the verge of a breakthrough on a very important project. I don't want to ask any of the villagers, because it involves a little traveling in the forest. That doesn’t sound very dangerous, obviously, and it probably isn’t, but if one of the villagers went in there, they could become the prey of some wild animal – I don’t want that on my conscience. Another thing is that these berries are best found during night-time when they shine strangely in the dark, so the best time to look for them is at dawn or dusk when it’s not too light to find them and not too dark to get lost in the woods – finding them during daytime is almost impossible, as I have learned from bitter experience...”

“I thought that I could ask you, because you seem to have the potential for that sort of thing, especially after I heard about how you helped Nicos. I don't want you to go anywhere specific, but I would like to ask you to go into the forest and look for some green-yellow berries. They will probably be not so easy to find, but when you know what you are looking for, it will be hard to miss”. He smiles and graps a jar filled with little green and yellow berries. "They only grow in the forest. If you could do that for me, it would be most helpful. I use them for a special potion that the villagers buy from me. It can be used for when you are ill or wounded… Could be handy for you," he says with a smile. "If you could bring those berries to me, I would be most grateful, and I will give you a jar of the potion. It is quite strong, so I think that unless you run into major trouble, the jar could last you for a while. What do you say?"

“So you accept? Good! This will be a great benefit to the villagers of Gorania and anyone traveling through the village. Thank you! Now, I thought you might like to see my tower. I’m afraid I don’t get many visitors here, so I’m only too pleased to show you my humble abode. For the same reason, it may be a bit of mess, I fear... Please follow me. First I’ll show you my lab.”

Eirus leads you out of his study and takes you up the stairs you noted when he first invited you inside his tower. As he does, he continues talking, “You see, I cannot search for the berries myself because I’m currently doing some research on a serious illness. Not just any old illness, mind you, but the sort that can kill entire populations, much like a plague. I think I’m close to discovering something, so I dare not leave my research for now, as I might otherwise be too distracted to pick it up again later...”

You reach the top of the stairs and Eirus leads you into what is quite evidently his laboratory. It is also, as he had already warned, a bit of a mess. A large table is filled with all sorts of beakers and odd instruments. Plants are lying about and several books lie open on the table as well. On the shelves there are yet more books as well as both skeletons and skulls of animals and several stuffed animals as well. Clearly, Eirus is a bit of a taxidermist. However, there are also a few live animals in cages around the laboratory. Several jars seem to contain the more grisly preserved internal organs of various creatures. Eirus apparently notes your discomfort with these, as he says, “Yes, I know those can be a bit unnerving, but I fear that close examination is the only way I’ll ever learn more about the complex nature of the body... Never fear, though – none of those remains are from humans, as naturally I would never perform my studies on humans. After all, that would be unethical, wouldn’t it?” Slightly surprised by that comment you look around again, yet it seems as if none of the various remains in his lab are those of humans or indeed any other humanoid.

“You see, research into such matters are extremly important to me, because during the Great War, when plague spread through the lands, particularly Glantri, I realized that priests could not combat the disease - they had only their spells, which were rather limited at times, and they just couldn't cast enough of them to help the ordinary people.  So the spells available always went to the most 'important' people first, such as kings and nobles, and, yes, adventurers, which meant that the poor common people often died from the plague, simply because the priests' powers of healing were usually exhausted before it was their turn to receive them.” As Eirus turns to this subject, you note that some of his compassion has been replaced by bitterness and anger... It is obvious to you that this subject is something he feels strongly about, and he seems angry on behalf of the common man and his problems during the Great War – he truly seems to care for the common people... even though he isn’t one of them himself!

“You see, I became aware of this problem during the Great War and started studying it intensely, and I realized that by using non-magical means, many diseases can actually be fought and even stopped!  So to prevent another plague from killing many innocent, common folk, I’m trying to find out how the body works and what can be done to save it from all sorts of ailments. Because of this, I’ve worked hard to acquire much knowledge of the mortal body, particularly on animals as I ‘experiment’ on them because experimenting on humans would clearly be an evil thing to do. Even though I could probably gain better knowledge that way, I’m not willing to pay for it with my conscience... or my soul!”

You’ve been searching the forest for the berries Eirus needs for a while now. It’s dusk, but sunset is still about an hour away, so you won’t need to stop your search yet to get out before darkness falls...

Suddenly you hear a strange sound in the bushes to the right of you... You look carefully, as suddenly a massive beast rushes towards you. It is a dark bear with some wicked-looking claws... It screams as it charges towards you!

Walking through the woods, you’re suddenly startled when you notice an owl in the tree next to you. You’re not sure why, but while you’ve seen a number of birds in the forest - squirrels, and a single deer - you have a feeling that you’ve seen this particular owl before and you get the sensation that it is watching you! Well, obviously it is, but you’re starting to think it might be spying on you...

Still wandering the forest looking for the berries for Eirus Fhalu, you’ve almost given up when you note that your search has taken you near some old ruins up ahead. As you examine it for a little while, you realize that this must be the old graveyard Balri mentioned at one point...

Suddenly something catches your eye. Right there in the bushes are some berries that seem to gleam in the night. There is no doubt in your mind – those are the berries Eirus sent you to find! From his descriptions, there can be no question about it. There are only eight of them, but according to Eirus, that should suffice, so you hurry and pick them up, roll them into a piece of cloth, then put them in your backpack...

Just as you are about to leave having found the object of your search, you hear a strange sound up ahead, though... Someone is walking around in the graveyard!

As you move closer, you can make out humanoid figures up ahead. You can’t see what they’re doing at this distance and you lose sight of them as they disappear behind another wall. You move ahead to follow, but apparently they are both sneaky and know this area better than you, because as you follow them, you suddenly find that they are all around you, and you know only too well what they are – the same sort of horrible, corpse-eating ghouls you met in your dreams! Horrified you prepare for battle as they attack you, screaming with glee, “Living Flesh – Living Meat!!!”

“The berries? You found them! Oh, and there are eight of them! Well done, my friends. If you give them to me, I’ll get to work on that jar of the potion I promised you right away. It’ll take me at least a week to make it, but you’re welcome to wait around the village if you want to. If not, you can collect it whenever you come by Gorania again. Rest assured that apart from getting a jar of the potion for yourselves, you’ve also done a great service to this community. I’ll remember to mention your efforts to the villagers...”

“What?? Undead at the old graveyard? Oh dear, that is not good! In fact, it is rather terrible news, to tell you the truth. Say, could you describe them to me... in as much detail as possible, please.”

You describe the undead to Eirus. When you mention their long tongues, their vicious claws, and their sharp fangs, he seems concerned. When you further mention their paralyzing touch and the fact that they spoke, he looks positively troubled...

“Oh my... You know, those are Ghouls you’re talking about. They hunger for carrion and eat the flesh of the dead... though they do prefer to eat living flesh, as you say. They may not have seemed terribly powerful to you, but make no mistake – they’re horrible abominations of nature! It is said that people who used to eat other people while alive or who were unspeakbly evil may become ghouls upon their deaths. It is a rare thing, but it seems to be the case here, since you saw nobody else at the graveyard. Besides, I know of no magical formulae with which to create these vile creatures, so I’m fairly certain they must have come about spontaneously... or at least one of them! You see, while ghouls typically eat the flesh of the dead, they can spread their horrible, undead curse to corpses they do not eat, so if left alone, the number of ghouls could grow quite large, particularly in a graveyard with lots of potential victims. Something must be done about this! Say, I know I’ve already put you through one assignment, but would you be willing to help us with these ghouls, too? As before, I’d still prefer to remain here to continue my research, but stopping the undead threat is more important. If you won’t help, I’ll have to do it myself, and my research might be lost, then... Please help us!”

Eirus looks very happy, “You accept? Excellent! Now, apart from actually destroying the ghouls, the main problem will be to make certain you find them all. You see, once they come above ground, doing so is no problem, but ghouls like to lie buried in the ground feasting on dead flesh, and when they do, finding them can be all but impossible to those who don’t know what to look for. First, try poking a spear or pike deep into the graves. Yes, I realize that may sound like sacrilege and disrespect for the dead, but bear in mind what we’re up against – if we allow the bodies to become undead ghouls, what respect would we be showing those dead people?”

“Now, the clerics and wizards in your groups – do you know the magical formula of the first degree of magical lore that allows you to intuitively realize the presence of the undead? I believe some clerics also know of this spell, yes? Those of you who know it, use it! It will reveal the presence of ghouls and so will greatly aid your cause. Just a moment...” Eirus leaves the room for a moment, then returns a moment later with a scroll case, “In case you need to use the spell, I have it on a scroll here. I already know the spell myself, so I’ve been saving this one for an emergency, and I guess this qualifies… here! I hope it’s useful. You may want to scribe it into your personal grimoire in case you don’t know it already. I have no problem with that as such, but bear in mind that doing so will take you two days of study, and the ghoul threat might spread in that time... If you do so, make sure your companions patrol the graveyard at night, okay?”