"That works for me." If the Church of Pharasma wanted to burn books on necromancy on a mission they funded, that was their prerogative. "On that note, how much are we paid?" Or more specifically her. If Valerian was doing this as part of his standard job as an Inquisitor and Kato was doing it for sheer fun, then whatever, but she was here for three things: leveling, gold, and fighting the undead. Not necessarily in that ordered list of priorities, but if this wasn't actually paying then there would be better ways of helping for free and for money. 

"Decent rates.*" He explained. 

* Blah blah, money stuff, I'm not tracking the economy in any manner.

"That works." Would be enough to cover her inn. If she got consistent enough wealth then perhaps she could (finally) save up for a Ring of Sustenance.. or she could continue to save for a deluge of second circle spells (once she reached it, soon! Hopefully!).

And so the trio set off down past the currently unnamed city. Delphine with her sword at her hip, Valerian with a crossbow and a really rather sharp knife, and Kato with a stick and perhaps a few spells. 

The general tales that one heard about Ustalav draw it as a land crawling with undead, with a necromancer hiding out as every fifth neighbor, half the nobles being secret vampires and the other half being Dominated by inside and outside interests. That the forests would be rare to walk out from, by the clawing hands of a restless spirit or of beings that shift and shudder.

That may raise the question as to why anyone lives here.

For the most part, the answer is that it simply isn't that bad much of the time. If one spends a decade farming and hears of the occasional undead being dealt with by brave adventurers, then it feels like quite the imposition if some traveler were to suggest moving. Compared to other dangerous lands, there are in fact fewer monsters of variety. In Ustalav there may be more, but they are simpler and direct.

Don't walk outside at night, for necromancers may lurk. Walk carefully in the woods, never close to the cemeteries, but ideally never go into them at all; the animal life is scarcer and at times rotting as well. Carry a flame if needed, a torch to stub out on the flesh of a foe.

One does not meet quite the same level of differences in such a land. There will be no Manticore one month and then a pack of demons the next.

This too, may give an inaccurate picture. Ustalav is a land of strongholds, for the most part. Walled cities built to protect against dread hordes meant that most fared nary a risk, it was more a worry to have one's purse cut in a back alley than to be attacked by a rotting corpse.

But there were towns out there in the forest, some old and some new, all so far surviving any passing interest of friend or foe. 

That's why, when they enter a small hamlet on the road through the forest to the necromancer's lair, Valerian is not surprised about any of the specifics. They are obvious to him as solutions.

The deep winding hole around the edge of the village, almost a moat, surprised her. Peeking over the edge she saw it was filled with spikes. 

"The zombies are oft not smart enough by themselves to climb over," Kato says, noticing her confusion. 

Delphine nodded. It was obvious after a moments thought, or being told of it. They were waiting right at the entrance to the village, a wide plank was on the other side. She could have made that jump with ease, though Kato would struggle. 

A man walked up from the other side and squinted at each of their faces in turn. As he saw the amulet of Pharasma on Valerian's chest his suspicion turned to a smile. "Ah, a Cleric of the Lady?" He asked, already sliding the board into place. 

Valerian shook his head. "An Inquisitor of Pharasma, but we are merely passing through to a deeper part of the forest." 

The man paused for a short breath, out of fear or from having jogged over. "Are you wanting passage through Murkvale?" 

"Yes. We are currently passing through. We may return tonight or on the morrow. Are there any rumors of creatures?"