"I Have not no.... why?" Herm asks unsure of why the question was asked.
"Well, it would be nice to have a knight in our company, now that we raised to nobility." Jominda tells.
"Ahh I see, well if you are Nobility then you could Knight me could you not?" Herm says with a rare grin, pulling out his long sword and handing it hilt first to Jominda, Herm then takes a knee in front of her.
"Sure." Jominda replies. "I have to take the broad sid efor that, right?" she fumbles around a bit witht he sword in both hands until she has a tight grip on it.
"But first you have to swear an oath. I'm not sure of the details, but it for sure includes to always defend a lady!"
"I'm pretty sure Herm already lives up to knightly virtues. Though perhaps not the virtues of knightly romance?" Kendra jokes.
Harrold comes out of his room at his point and tries, and fails to take in the scene in the corridor.
He greets everyone with a friendly "Good Morning" and makes his way past them in the hall, doing his best to not pay too much attention.
"To keep my divine powers I have to abide by an oath yes, I do solemnly swear to protect both you ladies to the best of my ability." Herm says from the knee as he fixes the sword so Jominda does not cut him.
Herm nods to Harrold as they walk by. "are you satisfied with my oath and now being a knight?" Herm says to Jominda
"From now on you shall be called Sir Herm Dunlaven, righteous knight of Iomedae." Jominda states in a pretentious tone, while touching Herm on the left shoulder, the right shoulder and on the head with the sword. Then she turns the sword and holding it at the blade, holds the handle for Herm to take it back.
"Thank you Milady" Herm says as he stands up and takes his sword back. "Now to break our fast, then out into the woods to track down our enemy." Herm nods at the ladies and moves to the dining room.
Jominda smiles at Herm as he leaves. But it looks a bit pressed. As Herm is out of sight and hopefully out of earshot, the laughter bursts out of Jominda. It's a laughter of pure joy.
"Have you seen that? I'm a duchess now, and have knighted the first brave man to be our protector." Jominda tells in disbelief. "That's almost too easy!"
Jominda does a pirouette and follows Herm to the breakfast. "This duchess needs to eat."
Herm enters the dining hall first, hearing someone coming behind him Herm stops and looks.
"Duchess Fallenbridge, May I escort you to a table?" Herm says offering his arm out to assist her.
"It would be my pleasure." the duchess replies and takes Herms offered arm.
Kendra follows Jominda to the dining room, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
Herm leads Jominda to a table, pulling out the chair for her and pushing it in once she has seated herself.
"So we venture to the woods today to find the werewolves and Estovion?" Herm says
"Ah, there you are. Everything is ready. The horses are waiting outside. When will you be finished?" an impatient Duristan greets you. "I guess after the events last night this investigation has become more urgent than ever."
Kendra lets out a pained sigh. "Breakfast on the road, then. Could anyone ask the cook to prepare food for me, while I study my books?" She looks apologetically at Duristan, fully understanding his eagerness to be off. "I'm sorry, but without my spells I am afraid I will be rather ill of use."
Once breakfast is finished, the group meets outside with Duristan's hunting party and Quiene Steymor who prepared the horses for the hunting trip.
It's an overcast day. The way to the Stairs of the Moon leads shortly along the beaten path, but soon the group leaves that riding along an unmarked trail into the woods that shows no signs of recent use. Venturing deeper into the Shudderwood, the long, spidery branches of the towering pines seem to weave more tightly together. Beneath this thick canopy, daylight fades, and the entire forest seems to blur into shadowy hues.
Suddenly there is a howl heard that echoes through the woods and two of these large werewolves you already met the last time in the woods come charging towards the group.
Herm dismounts drawing his sword from the scabbard on the saddle, "Kendra, Jominda and Harrold in the circle of horses try to keep them calm." Herm says as he readies his blade for the incoming attack
Kendra, remembering vividly how unaccustomed she was to fighting a werewolf from horseback last time, dismounts and gathers up the rains of both her own and Herm's horse. She readies up to receive the reins from other horses too.
Herm plans to put himself heroically put himself between the werewolves and the rest of the hunting party. But he is too late. The large werewolves run their greatswords into Kendra and Jominda.
Duristan comes to the aid of the ladies, trying to not get hit while approaching the large wolves.
Duristan isn't agile enough, but his armor prevents worse. His silver blade cuts painful into the leg of the beast.
Herm focuses his attack on the creature he wounded with the initial swing, hoping to end this quickly.
"Surround them if we can, keep them from fleeing. Kendra what pack are they from?" Herm orders the men
HP 49/66
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +9)
At will—detect evil
Paladin (Divine Defender) Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +6)
2nd—litany of righteousness UC (DC 14)
1st—bless, knight's calling APG (DC 13)
Inheritors Gauntlet (1/1)
Lay on Hands (3d6 4/5)
Channel Positive Energy (4d6 2/2-2 LOH uses DC 15)
Shared Defense (2 rounds, 10 ft., +1 AC, stabilize) (Su) Lay on hands use: Aura provides AC and other bonuses to allies.
Smite Evil (3/day) (Su) +2 to hit, +7 to damage, +2 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Potion of Bull’s Strength 2/2
Potion of Cure light wounds 5/5
Potion of Cure Mod Wounds
Potion of Heroism
Wand of Cure light wounds 40/50
Holy Water 4/4
Arrows 20/20
Sun rod 5/5
Herm comes to the aid of the ladies too and cuts deep into the wolf.
Jominda moves away from the wolf, hiding in safe distance behind her knight. From there she throws a bomb at it, making sure not to hit her companions.
Jominda is lucky, that the wolf has his attention on Duristan. The blast hits the wolf badly and sets him on fire.
Having handed the reins across to Kendra after dismounting he steps away from the fighting as it breaks out and throws a vial into the fight
Kendra screams in pain as she is hit, but she keeps a hold of the reins. Backing away from the wolves, she tries to reconcile what she read in the books with the wolves in front of her to relay to Herm.
The burning wolf doesn't look good after taking another hit from Harrold. You can see in their faces, that they didn't expect such a hard fight. The badly wounded wolf retreats and starts howling, which is answered by wolfs from different directions.
The other one leaves Herm, and swings his sword at Harrold.
Herm moves in on the wolf that left him, taking a guarded step if possible, healing his wounds as he goes.
HP 60/66
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +9)
At will—detect evil
Paladin (Divine Defender) Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +6)
2nd—litany of righteousness UC (DC 14)
1st—bless, knight's calling APG (DC 13)
Inheritors Gauntlet (1/1)
Lay on Hands (3d6 3/5)
Channel Positive Energy (4d6 2/2-2 LOH uses DC 15)
Shared Defense (2 rounds, 10 ft., +1 AC, stabilize) (Su) Lay on hands use: Aura provides AC and other bonuses to allies.
Smite Evil (3/day) (Su) +2 to hit, +7 to damage, +2 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Potion of Bull’s Strength 2/2
Potion of Cure light wounds 5/5
Potion of Cure Mod Wounds
Potion of Heroism
Wand of Cure light wounds 40/50
Holy Water 4/4
Arrows 20/20
Sun rod 5/5
Jominda throws the next bomb at the remaining wolf. "You still think it's a clever decision to attack us just for walking through the woods?"
Herm cuts the wolf as he moves away, and follows suit to add more gashes, with the mithral of the sword burning into the flesh. With additional burning of fur from Jominda's bomb, the wolf is in a place of pain.
"Surrender beast and we will talk." Herm says to the werewolf.
After Herm's stab the wolf no longer is able to talk. Stabbed deadly in the chest the beast sinks to the ground and reverts into human form.
Looking around you see that the wood brightens ahead where there seems to be a clearing and above the trees you see the top of a massive tower. It rises to a height of about 150 feet.
The howlings come closer.
clutching her bleeding side, Kendra says "Let's hide up in that tower where we can control the flow of battle a bit more. I hope we can get our horses inside."
"We will have to move quick, who needs healing before we go up?" Herm asks producing a wand, once everyone is healed Herm will lead the way to the tower.
Jominda takes a closer look at the dead man. "Nice bracers this man wears. You think he was that fashiònable in life?"
Jominda takes the bracers and Herm heals all that are wounded with the magic stick. Not wanting to meet more of these oversized wolves with their oversized egos, all get back on their horses. But as the group approaches the tower in a fast trot it becomes clear that the stone building didn't wait for them.
The stone structure is essentially two buildings in one — a wedge-shaped, flat-roofed, trapezoidal edifice attached to an immense tower of stacked flat stones rising to a dizzying height. Also constructed from large stones, the wedge - shaped building stands about 25 feet tall. A pair of ascending ramps carved into stairs climbs to meet the spiraling stair that wraps around the tower.
Along the south wall of the temple, the first ramp climbs from the forest floor in a straight path until it reaches the roof of the low building at its western end, 25 feet above the ground. Along its north wall, the opposing ramp doubles back, climbing another 25 feet to connect with the tower and join the staircase spiraling around it. The tower forms a tapering column of solid rock that rises nearly 150 feet above the forest floor, capped with an open-air observatory at the top.
On top of the wedge shaped edifice stand four werewolves armed with crossbows looking out for anyone who might approach the Stairs of the Moon. These wolves are different from the large ones the group has faced so far. They are smaller and with red fur.
"I can storm the stair well hopefully drawing their fire as I go." Herm says putting on his shield. "Kendra do you have magic to make me faster?"
"I got this extract of expeditious retreat. I guess it would also work for expeditious attack. Shall I give it to you or your horse?" Jominda asks while rummaging through her assortment of vials.
"That could work, I will take it. No reason to run my horse into deaths door." Herm says getting himself ready
Jominda hands over the extract. "Na zdrowie!"
Herm nods at JOminda, taking the extract and downs it.
"Follow me I will lead." Herm says once everyone is ready.
The clearing isn't that big and Herm makes it almost to the bootom of the stairs. The wolves start shooting once Herm comes in sight and range, but have serious problems hitting the running target.
"Do we fly?" Jominda asks Kendra.
I'll go around and attack from behind!" Duristan tells and rides off in the other direction, taking his goons with him.
Herm deflects one of the arrows at the last second just before it strikes him. Getting to the top of the ramp, Herm gets in the face of the first Werewolf, slashing at it with his sword.
The werewolves shoot again at Herm while he makes it up the stairs. And this time a bolt hits. But that doesn't stop him and the first wolf gets to feel the silver blade. And after that he doesn't look too well.
The wolves gang up on Herm and draw their swords.
The wolves are much more talented in the use of a sword than with the crossbow. Leading to a painful cut in Herm's shoulder.
Jominda takes off with her wings and easily catches up to Herm as she doesn't need to take the stairs. Staying above the fight, she throws a bomb at one of the wolves burning it badly and setting it on fire.