Helping Hands

About a week ago; Somewhere to the north, near Lach Nogoth...
Progress on the dirt road had been steady the last few months. It had proved an easy enough job. The planned route had gone almost entirely through grasslands and plains. Stone masons had only been required for the construction of the bridge and watchtower about two weeks ago. Otherwise, all the folks who'd been hired had to do was some minor landscaping on the way north. This was the first week they'd needed to put in some extra effort.
They'd hit a roughly 3-mile span of forest that needed to be cleared. Even this proved to be an easier task than it sounded, due to much of the plant life being dilapidated, dehydrated, and relatively simple to move. Many of the laborers counted themselves lucky to have been hired for this project. They'd been relatively well-paid up front and were allowed to keep any resources they stripped along the way.
There were rumors that the adventurer who'd fronted the bill for this project was a giant man with a sour disposition. He rarely made an appearance, except to deliver more gravel. On those occasions, he appeared to most of the workers as nothing more than a heavily armored knight. Almost as big as an ogre, sure, but that had probably helped to keep any wandering beasties, monsters, or ne'er-do-wells away from them this whole time.
Yep, this road construction project was shaping up to be a good, safe job right up until the earthquake hit.
It started with A tide of spooked wildlife stampeding through, trampling some of those who couldn't climb or react quick enough. Before anyone could recover, the already brittle trees began cracking and falling apart. Enormous branches came crashing down; Some on top of heads, and others that had been supporting the workers that had managed to climb above the stampede. The worst of it all was last, naturally. Massive fissures snaked through the forest floor, condemning everything in their path to descend, screaming into the immeasurable depths.
Once it had calmed down, shouts rang out through the ruined wood. A few called out that a fire had caught, but they quickly realized their error. A fire was indeed flashing through the dusty haze, in the form of a blazing obsidian steed. Sat atop it was the armored giant, the adventurer that had hired them. He appeared to have three limp bodies gathered in his arms as his steed darted through the air. The adventurer called everyone over to him, and once they were all gathered, he unceremoniously dropped the bodies in a heap.
"Which of you are injured?" He asked aloud. About a dozen of those gathered indicated they were indeed in various states of injury. The man shouted a word in a language none of them understood, and many of them released a sharp cry of sudden pain as their wounds were unnaturally closed or bones and cartilage set right. They began to holler their thanks to their savior, but he seemed to ignore them.
The adventurer - who must've been some sort of priest or paladin - hopped down from his infernal steed and knelt down, placing a hand on one of the bodies. A word later, the corpse sputtered to life in a fit of coughs. The holy man turned to the rest of the assembled crowd, many of whom had taken a seat or leaned against something to get their bearings.
"What do you think you're doing?" The man's voice burst like thunder. "Your shift isn't over, and there's now extra work that needs be done." The assembled workers were dumbstruck. Being rescued, healed, even revived - and then being told to immediately get back to work was a bit of emotional whiplash. One of them managed to speak up, noting that two of their number were still dead. The adventurer regarded the bodies.
"They'll be joining you as well," he said. He raised a gauntleted hand and began to utter an unholy prayer. An infernal flame blossomed in his palm, which he then closed his armored fist around. The two bodies below him shuddered, then lifted unnaturally into the air until they stood upright once again. He turned to address the now horrified crew. "I've only the capacity to revive one fresh corpse per day at no cost," he said. "You've all been paid in full to complete this project, and I intend to see that you do." Behind him, the newly-zombified workers immediately began scooping up tools and clearing debris.
"If one of you has the means to provide the diamonds necessary to resurrect the dead, I'll do so. I'll even direct you to someone who can offer you a loan, if you wish." Guth-tú-nakash, warrior-priest of Asmodeus pronounced. "Otherwise, get back to work."