Zhakata's Howl

As the heroes crossed the broken wasteland they sighted a lonely tent on the path.  As they approached a faint sobbing plea, "Help me, help me" sounded from the tent.  Seglun and Baru approached the closed front flap and opening it saw the contents ransacked and could see no one present.

Ralom moved around to the rear of the tent with Grunyar in tow.  Suddenly from inside  ad deep voice echoed.  "Give me the Talisman!" followed by a high pitched giggle as the tent collapsed on Baru and Seglun.  The tent appeared to want to suffocate the pair.  Outside Ralom and Grunyar witnessed a dagger trying to slash the tent.  A tent rope grabbed the dagger and attempted to smash it against the rocks.  It certainly appeared as if some other battle was being waged between unknown assailants.
Ralom managed to make a hole in the tent and Baru and Seglun clambered out.  "That was interesting," stated Seglun.  "How could whatever that was know about the Talisman?"  Once again the party headed out for the Mongrelmen's camp.
Several days later in the late afternoon, when the sun had begun to fade, just ahead on the trail four shapes appeared, as if by magic.  Three were hooded an robed.
The fourth was more monster than man, standing seven feet tall, with a ghastly face that was part lizard and part dog, and massive muscles bulging under his crudely stitched vest.
"What do you here, where mongrelmen be?" the first demanded.
Seglun started explaining the party's goal even though Arvien was trying to shush her.  "Don't say too much, we don't know who they are," whispered Arvien.  Seglun continued unabated asking if they knew of the "House of Bones" or if they were camped nearby.
One of the mongrelmen eventually turned to look at the group, his small eyes lingering on Baru.  "Wahrg says you not so tough.  Why we need you to free Lord Zhakata?  You fight Wahrg -- show your strength in combar."
Baru was intrigued but asked if this was duel.  The mongrelmen assured him, and the party, that this was an unarmed fight, that once a participant was pinned or knocked unconscious, the battle was over.  The party was satisfied and Wahrg, of the lizard and dog face, strode forward.  Baru gave all his weapons to Seglun and faced Wahrg.
Once the two finished flourishing their muscles they combat was over quickly as Baru knocked Wahrg unconscious without delay.  He then made sure to heal the injuries and bring Wahrg back to a conscious state.  The mongrelmen, duly impressed, agreed that the heroes help to bring forth Zhakata the Provider would be of immense help.  Off the new party headed to the Mongrel Gather.
After two days of hard travel, a great number of campfires were spotted ahead.  Misshapen, cloth-wrapped figures huddled near the fires.  A few of the wretches rose from their fires, coming closer as the party entered the camp.  A scene of desolate misery lay under the chill night skies of G'Henna.
There were hordes of mongrels bowing and scraping before they party, pressing against the heroes with whispered pleas for help, for mercy, for release.  They were not begging for food - but for scraps of cloth that could be used to make hoods and clothes to hide their twisted and disfigured bodies.  Their shame was obvious and intense.
Toward the center of the camp was ruined stone building.  The mongrelmen led the heroes to this building.  They were made welcome by the Elders, Those Who Survive, but there were some protests shouted from the gathering crowd.  The leaders silenced the protesters quietly.
"We had received word that the Circle was sending powerful agents to free Zhakata the Provider," the eldest among the mongrels stated.  "We welcome you in Zhakata's name."
"Additional agents of the Circle are expected this evening or tomorrow morning.  They will wish to meet with you to make plans for the ceremony in the House of Bones."
The heroes were offered to share the meager scraps of food the mongrels had available.  Seglun refused for the group, "We have enough of our own," she exclaimed.
Later the group was led to a place on the edges of the camp.  The stone building was reserved for infants and the sick.  As the party established their campsite, the mongrels sang long laments of anguish, sorrow -- and hope for redemption.
Just after midnight, the heroes corner of the camp was roused by a sudden disturbance.  The stench of decaying flesh and turned earth hit them.  Varrid, standing guard as usual, saw the attackers first, a loping pack of clawed, gray-skinned humans.  Their sunken yellow eyes and wicked teeth glowed brightly in the dying firelight.
Varrid roused the party as the creatures approached, battle could be heard elsewhere in the camp as the party was hit by a wave of stench which sickened Varrid and Arvien.  The battle was nasty as more ghoulish creatures appeared to climb right out of the earth.  Arvien threw fireballs into a crowd of ghouls, Drovic was attacking a Ghastly image and found himself paralyzed.  Ralom cast prayer and sanctified the entire area around the heroes.  Grunyar was in heaven, undead creatures, his favorite.  Baru waded through the enemy swinging his mighty sword.  Then a giant lizard appeared to the north attacking the awful creatures, but soon after the lizard was paralyzed.  Arvien swore under her breath but implored Summergale to provide flanking for Varrid.
Ghouls and Ghast fell as more appeared, the heroes saw some Mongrels standing still on the ridge of rock in the camp.  Drovic found he could move once again and attacked with his flaming sphere, Ralom was busy trying to stay away from the enemy while channeling divine energy to damage them.  Then a Dire Boar appeared as Arvien laughed derisively.  Now even more of the party became paralyzed, even as it appeared they might be winning.  Then the lizard moved and attacked with ferocity.  The last of the undead fell dead again.  The party ranged around the camp making sure that all the enemy was beaten.   They saw many mongrelmen dead on the ground alongside the ghouls.
The leader approached the heroes, trailed by six humans and a familiar mongrel, Petchko.   He introduced the Circle members as Boish, Yart, Gimgraw, Madar, Pelosti and Olvoro.  When he got to Petchko, the party responded, "We know this one, how did you make it out of the dungeons?"
Petchko explained that the Circle had rescued him, just as it had the heroes.  He was anxious to make it to the House of Bones to worship Zhakata the Provider.
The human named Madar stood forward, greeted the heroes as if he knew them, and gave a stirring speech about how they together would release Zhakata the Provider from bondage.  Arvien whispered to Drovic, "Are they really going to come with us?  I am not comfortable with that plan!"
Ralom asked the Elder to bring all the injured mongrelmen together, he would provide healing for any who required it.  The Elder was happy to oblige him.  After that Madar began helping the natives gather their dead.  As he did so he gave a glance of encouragement to Ralom and Baru, to help.  The whole party pitched in with the burial rites and eventually everyone went to bed.  Arvien was hungry and miffed about having to travel with these so called "priests."
In the late morning the priests and a group of mongrels, including Wahrg and Petchko, came to pick up the heroes on their way out oc camp to head for the House of Bones.  Grudgingly the heroes joined them and spent the next several days traveling across the bleak landscape headed to the House of Bones.
On the third day a sudden wind picked up.  It started to blow with more than gale force.  "Zhakata's Howl," cried Madar, "Find any shelter you can!"  The heroes and the priests scrambled behind rocks, that were not big enough to block the wind nor the stones and gravel that was being thrown at them.  They were taking damage as they scrambled when Drovic noted the mongrelmen cavorting in the scouring storm, unharmed, chasing after the tiny silver flecks.  The storm blew steady for two hours before it reduced to a mere strong wind.  After the group started on its trek once again, Arvien queried Petchko about his dance in the storm.
"When Zhakata's Howl appears we always search for our lost dignity that is blowing in the winds."

DM's Notes:  More XP will be calculated later.