Two more then:
-18/44
urgk, that hurt! Die beastie!
-27/40
I thought Turran had gone down for some reason; sorry. With Turran continuing to heal, despite the party's apparent worst efforts, you are eventually able to take down the final foe.
Dardanius relays what he sees. He gestures forth:There was some sort of monstrous wolf ahead. It retreated into the dark. Perhaps another hunt is in order, Weed? I assume we need to recover first, perhaps even a rest.
Return to the sheriff unless the party wants to pursue the wolf.
"Let's report back to the sheriff, maybe she will have some idea as to who is behind this once we tell her what we've observed. And I need to rest before any more battles."
-8/44
Any bonus info for the nat 20?
Give me a know planes check Tarvoth
i agree....lets go see feldane
The party, tired from battle and smoke, makes its way back towards where they last saw the Sheriff. Feldane is busy directing traffic and it seems as if things are starting to settle down.
Feldane-Well you must have done something good out there! It looks as if the goblin and wolf raiding parties are falling back to the forest and without any active resistance that's allowed me to get pickets further out and let the fire brigades do their job. We will probably lose a few buildings and for sure some valuable timber stores, but no one will lose their home tonight largely thanks to you.
Come see me tomorrow and I'll see about getting you some type of reward.
"We drove them off but they may be back. I saw a barghest out there and that makes me think this was something more elaborate than goblin mayhem. Can you think of any reason for any of this to happen sheriff?"
Feldane blanches at Tarvoth's words-That is grim news indeed. Wolves and goblins are one thing but a barghest is something else entirely. We have been raided before, but not like this. Maybe it has something to do with your skulk friend trying to take some form of revenge? I don't know; it doesn't make much sense at all. From what I've heard they didn't even try to steal anything. She shakes here head in dismay-Get some rest. If it's really a barghest I may have more work for you in the morning.
Does anyone know what sort of monster we were fighting at the end there? I am assuming they were not barghests. But Dardanius doesn't know much about dungeoneering/planes.
In the calm of post-battle, the party identifies the monstrous foes as bugbears-the apex of goblinkind.
why do i have a nagging suspicion that we somehow havent seen the last of borvious monchello
Rest up and report back to the sheriff the next day.
The next day the party makes its way to the Sheriff's office. A pall of smoke lingers over Belric and a light layer of ash can be found covering streets and buildings.
At the Sheriff's office the party finds the energy to be incredibly somber. When they get in front of Feldane-I have a reward for you here; the local business folk pitched together and are giving you 500 gold worth of jewels for your assistance last night.
Of more concerning news, it appears that the attack on the warehouses last night was not the only foul deed being committed. A number of the town's children were abducted, maybe 15 or so, and our initial investigation has yielded little so far as most adults were out dealing with the flames.
If you are up for it, I need you aid in the investigation; interview any witnesses, search for clues, what have you, and see if you can determine who or what made of with these children and to what ends.
"That is dire news indeed sheriff, just provide us with the names of the witnesses and we will begin immediately."
*everyone take 125gp
The Sheriff obliges and gives you a list of names and addresses. You make your way to the first one and find a set of grieving, shell-shocked parents along their 3 remaining children.
How many names/addresses? Are we gonna RP them all? Basic questions for them all:
“Hello I am Tarvoth, my companions and I have been appointed by the sheriff to find and return your child. What can you tell us about whoever or whatever took him/her? What manner of creatures? How many were there? Which direction did they go? What is your child’s name? Can you describe him or her?”
sounds like a good line of questioning.....
Good lord, RP them all? I'd sooner delete my account. ;-D
After interviewing the first few families (5 or so), the party identifies that none of the abducted children were older than 5 years of age. Both boys and girls were taken and there does not seem to be any discernible reason as to why a child was taken based on the parents wealth, job, or other obvious reasons. Only one parent saw what took their child; they were up using the bathroom. All the other families, including the other children, heard or saw nothing. The parent that says they saw indicates that it was some type of monstrous wolf-man that had the body of a man, but was covered in fur and had the head of a wolf.
after they interview the families....i recognize several of the parents as visitors at the carnival....particularly when we saw the all seeing Hajeck addressing a small crowd
At Weed's observation/recollection,
Gods . . . this town is beset by evil on all sides. We should report this to the sheriff immediately. Then hunt this Hajeck down.
then perhaps the carnival is somehow at fault
“I agree, let’s tell the sheriff and go from there.”
Return to sheriff and report findings.
im not sure about this lighter armour....although i feel i move quicker i went down pretty quickly....what do you guys think?
After an emotional day of interviewing shattered families, the party returns to Feldane and makes their report.
Feldane-Sounds like a werewolf if I've ever heard one described. There are several bands of them in the Arthfell, sometimes acting independently, sometimes serving the Blooded Stag. Given the coordinated attack with the goblins it would seem like there is some power organizing all this activity.
How do you feel about tracking down these kidnappers and rescuing some children?
Sheriff, I want nothing more than to help recover the town's children.
Does Dardanius already know anything about the Blooded Stag? Not sure what kind of knowledge check it would be . . . Dardanius only knows Religion and Nobility.
If he doesn't know, he is fine asking Sheriff Feldane to elaborate.
Dardanius knows a fair amount about the Blooded Stag from his service in his Paladinic order patrolling the borders of the Arthfell Forest.
The Blooded Stag is a bestial archdruid who leads his fellow congregants in bloody rites and worships the ancient fey that inhabit the woods. His callousness and violent behavior toward his human neighbors who encroach upon his domain have made Blooded Stag an easy target for demonization by the Lumber Consortium.
Feldane tells you that if the abductors were indeed werewolves, it does not necessarily mean that they were working for the Stag.
Weed: that’s the price of being able to use evasion, if you make a reflex save 0 damage, up to you what to do, evasion is very nice but doesn’t come into play as often as straight up AC
“Let’s go find those children!”
With that many, hoping tracks are relatively easy to find.
Looking for clues along the way:
Tarvoth and Weed scout about, looking for useful tracks. After a little bit of time (and having some difficulty given the urban setting) Tarvoth stumbles upon a set of tracks leading towards the outskirts of Belric and eventually the boulder in the park where the secret exit from the thieves guild is.
The party can make out that a large group assembled here and apparently moved through the secret tunnel to gain access to the town. You see the tracks of wolves, goblins, and men(?). There are several sets of tracks returning from Belric. It looks like a large group moved out from this position and back into the forest.
what do we know about werewolves? maybe we can use this secret passage to our advantage...who would know about this? the skulk...
“Hmmm, yes this does seem to implicate the skulk since she knew about this secret passage into the thieves guild, but we need to follow these tracks into the forest to find the children. Let’s move out, keep an eye out for traps or ambushes, they must suspect someone would try to rescue the children.”
agreed Tarvoth....
Agreed. May Erastil bless our hunt.
do we need anything to fight a werewolf? ive heard tales...
The party follows the trail into the woods, which is fairly simple given the size and apparent unconcern of the those making it. After a 1/4 mile or so, the tracking becomes a bit more difficult as the woods start to thicken and it appears as if small groups decided to split off from the main party.
Finally, about a full mile into the forest, the diminished main group appears to have broken into to smaller sub-groups. From what you can determine, it looks like a large band of goblins headed in one direction (with some wolf prints) while the main pack of wolves (and some 2-footed tracks) head off in a different direction.
I say we follow the two-foot tracks. As for werewolves, they are not a beast I've studied**
Tracking rolls:
Any evidence of tracks of children? If so, go that way, otherwise follow two foot tracks as suggested by Dar.
Tarvoth can't make much sense of the tracks, but he does spot a few small child-sized footprints among the wolf pads. The party follows the wolves for an hour or so before losing the trail (pending Weed survival roll).
sorry....back
Weed kneels downn and looks about at the tracks....picks up a twig...sniffs the air....
Having lost the trail of the wolves, the rest of the party dithers about, while Weed keenly asses the forest environs. The heritage of his elven eyes pays dividends as he spots a stray paw mark lightly brushed on some moss. The tracks appear to lead ever deeper into the darkening forest.