The party's attempt to ambush Ninaran failed after her familiar spotted Kylorin and Sister Linora. Ninaran charmed her guards and used her superior mobility to run back to the grave yard and raise an army but the party proved resistant to her endless monologues. Over a dozen archers climbed from the ground and peppered the party with arrows while two shadow-tainted zombie wolves proved a real menace for the fighters. Sister Linora drove away one of the wolves for a bit and Kylorin used her breath to clear the skeletons who had rushed the party to provide flanking at Ninaran's orders.
Ninaran skewered Eddie right off the top and skeletons constantly chased him around. Meanwhile Freya charged into the center to attract most of the attention and was absolutely pounded with arrows. The skeletal archers were just getting critical after critical and the shadow tainted undead wolves had a twisted sort of energy that really ate up anyone what was bitten doing damage again and again. Sister Linora and Kylorin were hard pressed to keep anyone form dropping. Eddie had to drink a healing potion.
Luckily while the party fought a veritable undead army outside Lindal chased Ninaran into the largest mausoleum and just overwhelmed the archer at close range using ever trick in Lindal's arsenal. but outside the rest of the party was still getting mauled by a horde of undead. Focused fire brought down one gravehound which reduced the pressure on Freya some but by the 16 arrow or so Freya was on deaths door. She was still shadow tainted and seconds from dying when Sister Linora pulled out the stops and prayed to Bahamet reducing the power of the undead and buffing the party with some healing and then she laid down some real healing on Freya bringing her back from nearly dead. Also Eddie moved into great personal danger and pulled out a burning hands that took out half of the skeletal archers and at that point the battle was turned. Between the healing and the burst of fire the battle was turned form being touch and go to being a fair fight.
Lindal was pushing Ninaran sorely in the mausoleum and Ninaran attempted to flee but Eddie ran forward and finally froze the archer with some ice damage and the day was won.
The party returned to town escorted by the guards who returned to help the group home. In town the group met with Lord Padraig and the Sage Valthrun and spoke honestly about what faced the town. Valthrun knew a bit more about Orcus and the keep and while he saw through the party's background he saw that they were genuinely putting their lives on the line for the village so he became a fount of knowledge.
The party earned 775 xp (155 each => 1255 cumulative) gained 39 gp and the following gear:
1 longbow
5 longsword
9 shortbows
A book of ritual magic penned by Kalarel that ranged from 1st to 8th level. The selection indicating that he was likely a cleric and at least 8th level.
* gentle repose 1
* continual light 3
* detect secret doors 3
* animal friendship 5
* undead servant 6
* raise dead 8