Walking the Road into the Wasteland of Gath

I think everyone that's going to play +Christian Walker's first Road through Gath scenario has done so, here's Shank's version of it (with some lines borrowed from Christian's account). I may be wrong about everyone being done so here is a SPOILER ALERT:

IF YOU'RE ONE OF CHRISTIAN'S PLAYERS AND HAVEN'T YET DONE THE ENCOUNTER FROM TOLLING OF THE GREAT BLACK BELL No. 26, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER.

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WASTELAND OF GATH ENCOUNTER I: Shank Hits the Road

"Screw this place," thought Shank moodily, "Even the wasteland's got to offer something better." The thief started walking down the road to nowhere with a sense of glum purpose.

After a short march, Shank came upon a strange metallic, horseless carriage. Inside was a dwarf banging his head repeatedly on a wheel that Shank could only presume was once meant to guide the ruined vehicle.

Shank approached and spoke to the dwarf whose name was Kerg, a fellow down-on-his-luck rogue. With tragic pasts and a shared vocation, the two thieves immediately felt the bonds of professional honor and co-dependency. Man and dwarf plunged together into the wastes.

After a time, the pair came upon a larger ruined metal carriage, turned on its side. They approached with caution and soon heard a rattling of chains coming from the front of the vehicle. The adventurers flattened themselves against the now-vertical underside of the iron hulk, as two skeletons emerged from its front end. The foul things were clad in orange jumpsuits and swung their chains and shackles like flails.

The undead were quicker than they appeared and closed rapidly on the two rogues. Shank threw his dagger, which slipped from his hand and flew wildly over the skeletons' heads. He then dashed across the road to hide behind a bush. Kerg stood his ground, leveled his crossbow, and took a skeleton's head clean off with his first bolt.

The remaining skeleton closed on Kerg and whipped the now cowering dwarf with its chain. Shank rushed forward from hiding and smote the skeleton from behind with his short sword.

Shank and Kerg searched the area and found a skull with two gold ingots embedded inside it. Recovering his dagger, Shank pried the ingots out, and tossed one to Kerg.

"You earned this," he told the surprised dwarf.

The two rogues clambered up onto the side of the overturned vehicle. Peering through broken windows they discovered ten more skeletons, still shackled to their seats but quite animated. Shank examined the writing on the side of the massive carriage and to his astonishment found he could read it: "DEPT. OF CORRECTION."

"I know what this is," declared Shank. "It's a prison transport. These fellows must have been shackled here for ages."

"Poor bastards," muttered Kerg.

The thieves thought it wiser to stay clear of skeletal prisoners' grasp, and instead passed forward to examine unmoving remains of the two uniformed guards in the front compartment. Shank pulled two gold rings off their fingers, and again tossed one to the dwarf, who once more looked surprised.

"We're in this together," said Shank. "Share and share alike. That's the deal, right?"

"What do we do with the rest of them?" asked Kerg. The sound of skeletal agitation grew louder, as if protesting the presence of the living. "It sounds like they might break free at any moment."

Shank thought before replying. "I don't want to leave them here. Even if we get a fair distance before they break free, they're as like as not to catch up and surprise us in our camp as we sleep. We'd best burn this thing."

The two ruffians stuffed all the dried vegetation they could find into the openings of the massive horseless carriage, doused it all with oil and struck a spark. The massive hulk was soon completely engulfed in flames.

Without looking back, Shank and Kerg took to the road once more.