Second Interlude - Strangler's Bridge

The city of Ulgotha was separated into nine boroughs, each of varying quality of life. The general rule was that the further down the course of the River Leshrac, the worse the neighborhoods got as even the water supply became rebellious. Only one borough lie beyond the industrial district known as Slag Valley; by the point the River Leshrac made its way through the borough called Specter's Barrow, it didn't so much flow as ooze. The economic output of the budding factories was more important to the city as a whole than keeping the water potable so far downstream, and so nothing had been done about the industrial dumping that made the River Leshrac undrinkable for the rest of its span.

Not that the denizens of Specter's Barrow particularly minded. It was said that the Middle Barrens was the best part of Ulgotha to raise a family in. It was simply known that Specter's Barrow was the best place to raise the dead.

A tall, gaunt figure strode through the night, trailing white hair. The only noticeable eccentricity about him was that his skin was just a bit too gray. The man walking next to him was decidedly short on skin.

"It's disgusting. It's like they think we're not human!" muttered the gray one.

"Daniel, I've had to put up with their attitudes for nearly a hundred years, and I'm telling you, no amount of diplomacy is going to give us social acceptance." replied his decayed companion.

"So what should we do, start killing them all and eating their flesh? Just what we need, more stereotype reinforcement!"

The pair were Daniel Talon and Roger Maize, two of the top-ranking members of the Sardipan Alliance of Extended Humanity, the premier advocates of undead rights in Sardipa.

"Well, it gets 'em moving." chuckled Maize, his bare jawbones rocking.

"Not funny." he said, crossing a small stone bridge and crossing into the Lower Barrens. A small city-issued sign next to it read "Strangler's Bridge." No sooner had Talon's boots touched the cobblestones then he heard a derisive call directed at him.

"Hey, rotwalkers! Get back in the ground!" yelled a young man standing in front of several others. "Rotwalker" was a slur for the corporeal undead.

"That's uncalled for!" hissed Talon, approaching the men. "If you have an issue with me, you'd best raise it now."

The man pushed Talon back. "My issue is that you don't belong up here. Get out of my city and back in the graveyards where you belong!"

All corporeal undead exhibit the strange phenomenon known as the Strength of Undeath, wherein their decayed limbs show superhuman strength. If he had wanted, Talon could have cracked the insolent bastard's head in half with one strike. However, Talon knew this would only reinforce the idea of undead as monsters, an idea Talon fought against every day.

"So, in other words, you're entirely full of shit. As I thought." Talon turned on his heel and started to walk back to Specter's Barrow. Suddenly, he felt heat on his back.

When Talon turned, he saw the gang of thugs had a pair of torches they had just lit. Being very dry and unable to heal, there were few things the corporeal undead hated more than fire. Refusing to be intimidated, Talon moved quickly for the bridge. Seeing what was unfolding, Maize retreated back across the bridge.

"Hey!" called the thug. "I ain't done with you yet, rotwalker! Get back here!"

Talon heard them approach and quickened his pace. He was nearly across the bridge when they began to run. He stepped onto the cobblestones of Specter's Barrow and waited for his ace in the hole to kick in. They called this place "Strangler's Bridge" for a reason.

As the thugs were halfway across the bridge, a monstrous, waterlogged hand splashed out of the river. It loomed over the startled men for a moment before sweeping down and clutching them all, then dragged them below the surface.

"Interesting fact," said Maize. "No one knows where that Wight came from or why it hates the living so much. Most of them would just as soon go after the undead, but this one only likes 'em warm, only at night, and only if the stars are out. Funny, eh?"

"Funny how they never learn, maybe." spat Talon.