With her shield and weapon in her hands Adela scrambles over to Alyssa & Rhiann, casting Bless on the party.
Her head turning frantically as she looks for the wolf she saw in her dream.
The night is filled with snarls and howls. The party's horses begin to whinny and fight against where they are secured.
"No!" Roderick yells looking panicked in their direction. He rushes off towards the Large animals determined to keep them safe.
Wolf 4: Wolf 4 rushes towards Rhiann and lunges low towards the warrior's boot.
Rhiann shifts her weight slightly and the wolf's jaws snap closed centimeters from the fabric of her trousers.
Wolf 6: The animal surges to assist its packmate and goes high with a small leap to catch the woman's arm.
Ready for the attack, Rhiann swats the wolf's face aside, sending snarling spittle into the the night.
Wolf 2: Despite missing as Wolf 2 dances aside, Erik's attack helps obscure Malki's lunge from behind the tent canvas, and it catches Wolf 2 unaware. Malki gets a good nip on the wolf's foreleg. It snarls and snaps back at the mutt.
Wolf 7: The wolf behind Wolf 6 suddenly darts off behind the tent in which Adela was originally sleeping. Did it have a burn on its side? It was gone so quickly, it's hard to say.
The party is not certain where it has gone, but there's no reason to assume it won't return.
Drawing a deep breath to steady herself after the frantic awakening Aela steps 5' to the side of Rhiann and swings her morningstar at Wolf 6.
Her eyes are darting around, looking around for wolves trying to ambush the party.
Scared, Alyssa looks around the campsite frantically, unsure of what to do. She takes out her dagger, figuring she might as well be armed, but tries to consider how her magic might best turn this fight around. Seeing one of the wolves on the outskirts of the camp and thinking it is bound to charge at her companions soon, she prepares to throw a spell when it gets nearer.
Lyra, scared of the owls as well as the attacking wolves, decides to stay close to Alyssa.
Wolf 6 yips loudly as Adela's heavy weapon smashes into its side.
Wolf charges in, and Alyssa releases the energy for her spell.
Initially, the wolf slips a bit but manages to skid through the grease remaining upright. It then bounds towards Erik's exposed flank.
However, the slayer proves much too slippery of a target for the wolf to latch onto with his fangs.
Wolf 3 also attempts to split the attention of the half-elf, jaws snarling.
Erik pushes the wolf's muzzle down as it leaps at him.
Roderick can be heard near the horses issues commands as he attempts to wrangle the horses into a circle and make their kicking back legs into a defensive wall against the wolf pack.
Wolf 1 fades back behind Wolf 2 and the tent in which Erik and Roderick were sharing.
Like Wolf 7, its whereabouts are unknown, but it certainly seems likely they will be circling for an attack on an unprotected side.
Above the din of snapping jaws, snarling growls and howls, and the fearful whinnying of horses, a roar is heard in the far distance. The watchful owls previously silent all begin hooting at once.
Taking a step back to gain better positioning with her weapon, Rhann strikes at the wolf facing off against Alyssa with the fire between them, the chaos an fire affecting her aim.
"@%$#^! what in the nine hells was that??"
Keen eyes assess the wolf that Erik (and Malki) are focusing on. Then man and dog move as one, flanking and striking...
+1 str +1 bab +1 bless +1 studied Target+2 flanking
+1 str+1 studied target
+1 bless +2 flanking
Rhiann's strike against the dark furred wolf skewers it in the chest, and surprisingly it bursts like a bubble into a strange noxious ichor which turns into a quickly dissipating steam thanks to the heat from the fire pit.
Erik notices immediately that something is off about the oddly darker wolf in front of him . His strikes don't draw blood but instead a disgusting black ichor which appears much denser than the usual red liquid of life. Malki leaps up and closes his jaws on the beast's throat causing a gush of the weird fluid, and its body suddenly loses form and dissolves into a mess of the same. The earth absorbs it quickly, and soon there is no trace it ever existed.
Wolf 6:
Wolf 7: Roderick shouts as Wolf 7 suddenly appears nears the horses.
Wolf 7 made a terrible miscalculation in its lunge, and under Roderick's guidance, Alyssa's mount delivers a double kick to the predator.
Wolf 7 avoids significant injury, but is dazed after being sent flying.
Wolf 5 = 16
Wolf 3 = 12
Group 5
Roderick = 6
Wolf 1 = 4
Rhiann viciously slashes Wolf 2, and its blood splatters across the ground. Adela smashes it hard with her morning star, and the animal falls lifelessly to the ground bloody and broken.
Rhiann viciously slashes Wolf 2, and its blood splatters across the ground. Adela smashes it hard with her morning star, and the animal falls lifelessly to the ground bloody and broken.
"@%$#^! what in the nine hells was that??"
"That... That sounded like a very large bear!" Alyssa's voice is shaking as she frantically scans the outskirts of the campsite. "As if these shadowy wolves weren't trouble enough..."
She looks on in horror as she sees the wolf dart out from the shadows towards Mirin, and lets out a small sigh of relief as Roderick manages to guide her into defending herself.
Unsure on how her magic can best help now, she decides to draw upon her connection to the land and bestow a small blessing on Rhiann.
As the area around her is clear for the moment Adela scoops up a stone and castsLight on it. She intends to throw it towards where the eyes are watching the ambush. Hoping to reveal what it is?
.
Wolf 5: The beast charges forward to try and catch Erik unaware with a tripping bite.
It's foreleg catches on the cord tying down the tent causing its jaws to snap several centimeters short of contact.
Wolf 3: The dark wolf slinks to try and catch Erik from the other side now that his attention is on its packmate
All it manages to do is scratch its fangs across Erik's leather.
Roderick: Roderick attempts to coax his own mount into striking the attacking yet dazed Wolf 7.
The wolf almost darts out of the way, but the horse manages to catch the predator with both hooves, and its body flies through the air over Rhiann's head and lands in the campfire before immediately bursting into strange black smoke as if the fire combusted its form.
Wolf 1: The first wolf on the scene suddenly reappears and darts in from the bushes to the north attempting to catch the sorceress unaware.
Yet another tent cord trips up one of the attacking animals, as this wolf's lunge is foiled completely as its legs are tangled in the cord causing it to fall prone at Alyssa's back.
Another large roar is heard from the woods. It seems closer.
The partnership between man and dog continues, as they move to attack another wolf...
+1 str +1 bab +1 bless +1 studied Target+2 flanking
+1 str+1 studied target
+1 bless +2 flanking
As the hidden wolf lunges out of the bushes to attack Alyssa, Rhiann, weapon slices out with deadly precision, intercepting it.
Her weapon whistling in the air as she twirls it, the warrior then executes an elegant spin maneuver, rolling protectively around the sorceress to end on her opposite side, her blade falling in a strike against the wolf caught between Erik and Malki.
"Alyssa, there's... A shadowy human looking thing watching the fight, out there in the woods! But I think the bear's roar surprised it as well? I don't think they're together" Lyra whispers to Alyssa.
"I... See. Thanks, Lyra." Alyssa replies, having trouble focusing on everything that's happening around her, with wolves flying through the air and dissolving in puffs of black smoke. She scans the woods for a moment, seeing nothing, and shares what her familiar told her with Rhiann.
"Seems like someone is watching us just out of sight, through the woods there. Seemed surprised at the roar, too."
Unsure of what else she can do to help out, she takes aim at one of the wolves attacking Erik and Malki, not really trusting her aim, but praying the bolt finds its target.
As expected, the shot goes wide of its mark. With a sigh, Alyssa reloads her crossbow.
Adela will toss the stone with Light going on it towards the shadowy humanoid, hoping to get a clearer look at them.
Wolf 1 and Wolf 5 both receive terrible wounds which spout gouts of red blood before falling; their carcasses destined to become future wolf pelts.
Despite the bolt from Alyssa's crossbow missing by almost half a meter, the dark furred wolf suddenly dissolves away like its previously killed brethren.
A terrifying roar echoes around the campsite undoubtedly from a very large creature which is currently charging through the side of the woods into which Adela casts her divinely lit stone. A strange scene is exposed as the stone flies through the air. A twisted humanoid far too thin with limbs far too long is revealed. Its complexion is ashen, and it is unclear if the taut flesh is skin so withered that it is molded around the sinews, muscles, and bones of its body, or if those organs are in fact inverted. It has a very distinctly lupine head; its lips pulled back in a snarl or perhaps they have fled the face entirely leaving horrendously diseased gums and rotting teeth exposed. Its eyes are milky and disturbing, and its gaze is evil wholly without any pretense.
The monster glares at Adela before turning a literal tail and running into the darkness. The very large creature which has been approaching roars again and also turns away from the camp. It seems to be in pursuit. All that is seen of it are its clearly thick fur which covers its bulk marred by strange protrusions occasionally across its form.
After several tense moments punctuated by increasingly distant roars, silence descends on the woods. And as if this was a signal, the wisdom of owls suddenly takes wing. Their unnervingly silent departure a reminder of what magnificent predators owls are in the wilderness.
Alyssa looks at the wolfish humanoid as it flees from the camp, not failing to notice the evil glare in his eyes. As the camp grows quiet and fhe owls silently leave, she looks to the rest of the party, visibly distressed at the encounter.
"Is... Is it over? Do you think it's safe to rest now? Can't say I feel to comfortable with those two beasts still running around here..."
"And the owls! Don't forget the owls!" Lyra adds as she lands on Alyssa's shoulder and tries to hide herself in her hair.
Alyssa gives her familiar a gentle pet and looks ober the party. "Is anyone hurt? I can call on a bit of healing magic if you need." Noticing Malki's wounds, she carefully approaches the dog and gently touches him.
Erik pulls a chakram, but is not quick enough to get a throw off at the twisted humanoid as it disappears into the dark; he is not fool enough to pursue...
Erik's head is on a swivel as he tries to watch all directions at once. As he twitches, he spouts rapid fire questions: "What the hell was that? Wolves don't turn into smoke when they die! What the hell is the giant roaring beast? I suppose at least it's going away now..."
...
Alyssa gives her familiar a gentle pet and looks over the party. "Is anyone hurt? I can call on a bit of healing magic if you need." Noticing Malki's wounds, she carefully approaches the dog and gently touches him.
At first Malki, hurting, shies away from the sorceress, but a word from Erik has him hold still for her. Her soothing touch earns her an enthusiastic slobbering; she has clearly made a friend...
Adela takes a few moments to calm her breathing, she also gets her crossbow out and studies the Owls thoughtfully for a moment or two.
Before deciding that their thoughts, unflattering as they were don't merit trying to put a bolt or two into them.
Any applicable knowledge checks on the wolfish creature?
I assume that I can't get a snap shot off at the humanoid with a thrown weapon... To second the Q about knowledge checks: what check for the humanoid, and what check from the very large roaring critter?
Was the large creature chasing the first a bear with old arrows and bolts stuck in its body?
It's much too dark to discern. Even as the Light-spelled stone passes near it, only brief flashes of the bulky animal lumbering through the trees and brush are visible. It's highly likely it is large bear-like animal, but the party is unable to get a good enough glimpse to identify if it is merely a bear or something more like the wolfish monster which has fled. The odd protrusions poking from the fur could be humanoid-made or some kind of natural horn or spine. There's even the possibility it is protruding bone. Perhaps the heavy creature is undead?
+2 Slayer +3 dex
Erik's draw simply isn't fast enough, leaving him chakram in hand, without a target...
Alyssa smiles at Malki's reaction and gently pets the dog on the head.
After a moment, Alyssa looks thoughtfully towards the distance, where the strange creature disappeared to. She tries to recall any tales of such a creature told by her fellow villagers, or travellers passing by, or even from Nadyra, who would occasionally tell her a bit about more unusual creatures one might encounter, although she focused mostly on other Fey.
Surveying the campsite and the aftermath of the battle, Rhiann breathes a sigh of relief when she sees no one is severely hurt. "Good work everybody, Roderick, excellent job keeping the horses safe."
"...I have no idea what that was, the wolf thing that conjured those wolves ... the real ones and the shadows... but looks like the bear-thing was not on its side...which is good for us."
You have have heard tale of a young sorcerer who had an obsession with lycanthropy who had been caught attempting to trigger the affliction on some unfortunates in a hidden lair in Restov. The story says the sorcerer managed to escape after discovery and may have fled somewhere to the south.
Perhaps this monstrosity is one of the victims of those malign arcane experiments?
Roderick walks back to the campfire with a puffed chest. "Thank you, milady Rhiann. I did promise I would be useful!"
"And you've definitely fulfilled that promise!" Rhiann replies, resting a hand on Roderick's shoulder with an approving smile.
Looking around the campsite she sighs. "I can't shake the feeling that those owls knew this was going to happen...like they were waiting to see what happened or some ominous warning sign."
Adela is unsure as to her dreams but thinks it would be best to tell the others. "I did have a very strange dream that the Owls were watching us and being very rude as to our ability to survive. They said someone called 'No moon' hadn't allowed the pack close enough for Malki to scent them? Then I had an overwhelming feeling the attack was coming and saw the wolves overrun us?"
She looks around to see everyone's responses.
"Well that's...unsettling...especially considering what might have happened if you hadn't been able to wake us before the attack." Rhiann says with a frown.
"If your dreams are any indication, the owls at least know of the creature or person that attacked us...even if they're not directly connected to them...and while I may be grateful for the bear-thing that scared it off, I'm not in a hurry to meet with that either.....the stolen lands definitely aren't for the faint of heart."
"Definitely not..." Alyssa reacts to Rhiann's comment, still a bit shaken from the attack. "Living at the edge of it was bad enough with the bandit's attacks and the harsh conditions, but I didn't expect us to have to deal with something like this as we delved deeper... Although, now that I think back on it... I have heard stories about a young sorcerer, obsessed with lycanthropy, who escaped south after being caught cruelly experimenting on people back in Restov... Perhaps the wolfish creature could have been one of his victims?" Alyssa shudders as she considers the possibility.
"Definitely a possibility. I guess we should all settle back down and try to get as much sleep as we can for the rest of the night, those on watch aside." Rhiann says, rolling her shoulders.
"Definitely a possibility. I guess we should all settle back down and try to get as much sleep as we can for the rest of the night, those on watch aside." Rhiann says, rolling her shoulders.
"Yeah, that's probably good advice ... gonna be hard to do though." Erik's tone is troubled, as he wraps himself back in his blankets...
"Yeah, getting some decent rest after all that is probably the best idea... But I agree with Erik... I'm not sure if I'll be able to fall asleep." She takes a good look of the surrounding trees, as if trying to spot any more threats. "But we should at least try, right? Go ahead and try to rest, I'll keep watch until it's time to switch with Roderick."
Adela points to her eyes with two fingers, then points at the Owls as if to say 'I'm watching you!' Before she returns to her bedroll.
"Hopefully my dreams will be much more unexciting!" She mutters.
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Even after everyone makes a quick sweep of the perimeter while Roderick moves the wolf carcasses to the far side of the fire from the tents, sleep comes slowly for those not on watch. Yet, blessedly, nothing else unexpected occurs and soon the next day has dawned.
The party sets out perhaps later than usual as everyone grabs an extra bit of sleep to make up for the excitement of the prior night as well as the time Roderick insisted on taking to skin the wolves for their pelts.
Encounter chance (hex) 5/100:
Encounter chance (exploration) 15/100:
?:
The party spends a good portion of the day exploring the forest before arriving once again at the bandits' Thorn River Camp to find and repair the wagon.
Rhiann and Adela are chatting quietly when they sense tension in the others and hear Erik's low whistle. Malki's lips are curled back, but he wisely only emits a very low growl almost imperceptible.
A small crash is heard ahead, and a large lumbering animal seems to be rooting through what remains of a makeshift tent one of the bandits posted here must have used. Snuffling and other noises of minor destruction come from where the head and shoulders of the animal are obscured within. Judging from the animal's hindquarters, it's likely a grizzly bear. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be the monstrosity from the night before.
After pondering the animal's haunches for a moment, Rhiann starts doubting that the creature is in fact a grizzly bear.
But then she comes to her senses. Of course, it's a bear. Right?
Erik doesn't know enough about the wilderness to identify the creature , but he concentrates on studying it's movement patterns as he puts an arrow on the string and partially draws his bow...
"Seems like a normal bear, right? After those shadow wolves, though, I don't really trust my eyes too much. It doesn't appear to have noticed us yet. Maybe we should just leave it be and wait for it to leave?"
"Either we try to wait it out, scare it off, or attack. Though I'm sure once we start, it probably won't back down until it's dead...or we are. No idea what would scare a bear though." Rhiann whispers.
"I would prefer waiting it out, or scaring it off myself. It is just an animal behaving as animals do after all." Whispers the completely wilderness ignorant Adela.