"Um, what do you mean by etiquette, exactly," Kiley asks. "Have we done something to cause offense?"
"Oh, absolutely not. Quite the opposite, actually, I am extremely grateful for your help. But I won't have my companions' secrets spread throughout the glade, that is all I meant." he says, amending his voice to be much more gentle.
He nods towards Shaggar gratefully, a wide smile upon his face.
"I thought as much, just had to make sure everyone understood that we are not...'out in the open', as it were."
Verik listens to the group speak on a topic that is obviously important to both them and himself before speaking.
"I don't think there is much left to be said, Kiley. The group you surround yourself with seems to understand what you're going through, and supports you quite well from what I can see." the werewolf says, a hint of wistful jealousy entering his voice. "Would that all of us had the opportunity to have such great friends."
He shakes his head, dispelling whatever thoughts were plaguing his mind for that single moment. "Speaking of werewolves, however, I would like to let you know that I am not the only natural werewolf in the glade. They are all welcome here as refugees from the outside world, and it is a loosely-kept secret. I do not intend to let those who do not know into the loop."
"I consider you welcomed guests in my village, but I expect you to follow certain etiquette. I appreciate your understanding." he says, not exactly threatening but not entirely politely either.
Luckily for the entire group, Verik seems to know his way around this particular kitchen and pulls together a rather simple yet tasty meal of salted ham slices, fried potatoes, and steamed asparagus.
As everyone sits down to the table, the keeper volunteers himself to speak a small traditional prayer to Selune before the group can dig into the meal.
"It's only polite, you see." he says jokingly.
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It has been an eventful day...When you emerge and the townsfolk see you again we should all watch for reactions that could give away an enemy,
"A thoughtful idea, I find myself liking you all more and more with each minute. Whoever is working against the Glade and by extension Selune herself, must know you came in here searching for me. Seeing you succeeded in freeing me might vex them to no end, we must be watchful for those who disapprove."
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d-did you know Fionn and Annalee Sherrow,
"I regretfully did not, were they living at my village at one point? We don't get many visitors, but 'not many' is not 'none'."
Verik smiles warmly at the question. ”Of course not, I would love to hear all of anything you have to tell me. I will have to check the storeroom here in the council’s kitchen, but I am sure I could have something warm at the very least prepared shortly. Any preferences?” he asks, mainly as a joke, as it’s clear he isn’t sure what is even currently in stock in the pantry.
”Will be good for all of us to get some rest, I think.” he says, starting to move towards the door of the chamber. ”And then we can get back to dealing with…all of this.” he finishes heavily, waving a hand around towards the archive room generally.
"It's possible, I didn't know them. I'm not even sure if they're still alive or around, the only mention I know of has been in passing and I didn't put any import upon the name. When we finish dinner and I return to this archive, I can spend some more time searching for who or what this 'Malrath' was."
Verik is somehow not surprised to see the spell that was used to bind him.
"Of course the means to imprison me came from inside my own library. Couldn't get more ironic if I had planned it myself, I suppose."
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"Are you sure it was just you and her in this chamber when you began trying to commune with Selûne?"
"I was fairly certain of that fact right up until you opened my eyes to the possibility that I was not."
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"Is it like a water well... a hole in the ground? Have you ever climbed into it?"
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I wonder if someone is siphoning off the water with a secret tunnel or pipe or
Verik laughs for a few moments before stopping himself and calming down. "Ah, I suppose you wouldn't know that. No, it's not an actual well, and it doesn't have a source as you know it. I know it seems a bit wild for outsiders, but the well has always been powered by the light of the moon, the light of Selûne. Every night when the moon emerges into the sky, it would fill up with the purest water you've ever seen." he sighs, seeming disappointed in the wells' current state.
"But now it's just an empty stone pool with the carved designs of our faith. Beautiful, but empty."
Verik listens to Kiley's explanation of the current situation with an obviously growing sense of unease and worry. "I didn't realize things were that bad...all of this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, but at least you've dealt with some of the problems already."
His face changes once he hears the name, taking on a look of surprise.
"It does actually. I don't know whoever it is personally, but I have seen it mentioned in some of the village's record books. Had some role in the founding of the Glade, from what I can understand. Why do you ask?"
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Do any other books appear to have been used recently or placed out of their proper place? Perhaps whoever trapped Verik used a book and left it behind, but not the one that was out already...?
Sasha takes a look at the vicinity of the magic circle (that is now inert and lightless), and does discover another book that might be what she's looking for: "Circles of Containment: The Art of Magical Confinement". It's sitting open to a page on the nearby table in a chapter dealing with ways to trap specifically werewolves in a magic circle made of pure powdered silver, but has no mention of the floating ethereal chains. Those must be from some other source.
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"What is the 'lunar well' and what's in it?"
"The lunar well is the site that this entire village was built for, actually." Verik says, taking a seat at a chair nearby the table Sasha is reading the book at.
"It is-was a holy site, empowered by the strength of the moon to enhance its water. Both in healing properties and the beauty of the area under moonlight. But, now? It's run dry. Hasn't ever happened in the entire history of the town, as far as I know. And this" he says, waving an arm over the archive in disarray "is what I was trying to do to figure out why."
"Or do you think that she has masterminded this whole situation?"
He sighs quietly, not wanting to say whatever it is he needs to.
"It is...possible that she is involved somehow in the troubles the village is suffering, yes. But she only arrived here after the entire situation started, there's no way she's responsible for the beginning. There is another force at work here." the way he says it leaves it clear that he truly believes his words, and hopes she truly is innocent.
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she says to reassure him as she flips through the book, looking for a ritual that might have been used to trap Verik and place him in some sort of stasis.
Sasha investigates the book that Kiley picked up off the ground and see that there are a quite a few rituals that supposedly help with a wide variety of problems: infertility in both crops and people, weather altering spells, protective magic, all sorts of things. Doesn't seem to be anything that could produce the effect that chained the keeper in place, must have been an outside spell.
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"Do you think we are cut off from the Lady's vision? The moonlight seems real enough, even if the stars and the sky don't make any sense..."
"I...I don't think so, no. Lena, over at the cathedral, still gets her divine power from Selune, so we at least know Her touch extends to the Glade. I have noticed the stars not aligning to what our world's stars should look like but I have no explanation for it." he finishes, shaking his head in disappointment.
"You can just call me Verik. No sense in using fancy titles around here." he says, smiling warmly at Kiley. "I hadn't actually known that she had disappeared up until you told me. But yes, I do believe that may be related in some manner." he continues, answering the question.
The ceiling above has a glass window seemingly designed to let moonlight in, yes. Kiley is glowing quite brightly.
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"And would you prefer if we turned our backs to give you more privacy while you changed?"
"Up to you. Doesn't bother me either way." he says nonchalantly, seemingly not worried about it.
He is grateful for the clothes when Kiley brings them, however, and does take his more palatable human form when he gets the chance. Whether you turn away or not does not deter him, and those who decide to watch get an interesting lesson in the way 'human' anatomy can stretch when pushed to the limit by supernatural powers. His clothes aren't ostentatious, a white cloth tunic with well-sewn pants being paired with a nice leather jerkin.
"Ah, that's better." he says, and you see his true form is that of a moderately aged man, skin and face lined with the signs of stress. His hair is still surprisingly healthy given his age, but perhaps you should've expected that in retrospect. "Don't worry, I won't spoil the secret." he says, winking exaggeratedly in reaction to Kiley's antics.
"While I wish to dwell on what the visions mean, I fear we do not have much time left to act. I know you are most likely tired and probably hungry from your travels and time here, so I'd like to extend a dinner invitation to you. But before we get to that, I think there is something we should discuss first." he says, taking a deep breath as if to prepare himself to speak some uncomfortable truth. "At first, I thought I had entered communion with Selûne. But it didn't feel like her, not exactly. I have spent many a moon in talks with the Lady of Silver, and this was not her. I thought again that perhaps it was Shar, our most hated vile enemy. But I cannot be sure." he says, shaking his head in disappointment. "Something is amiss here beyond what we can see, I am sure of it."
"We were hoping to find that out ourselves. No one has seen her since she came in here a few nights ago." Kiley says as she goes to pick up her sword and retrieve the book that had caught her curiosity before the elementals demanded her attention. She hesitates a moment before carefully picking it up to avoid losing the page it had been open to.
"When I touched this, some fiery creatures came out of the chains binding you," she says holding out book for Verik. "Was Lucina standing over there," she asks as she points to the spot where she'd seen the book.
The book Kiley picks up is titled Lunar Whispers and seems to deal with trying to commune with Selune. It's opened to page 77, in a chapter named 'Rituals and Ceremonies'.
Page 77:
"The Lunar Invocation Ceremony is one of the most profound ways to commune with Selûne. Performed on the night of a full moon, this ritual requires a serene outdoor space where the moon is fully visible. Begin by casting a circle of moonstones around your chosen area. Light silver candles and place offerings of white flowers and moonwater at the center. As you sit within the circle, gaze upon the moon and recite the Invocation to Selûne:
'Oh Selûne, goddess of the night,
Shine your silver light upon me,
Guide my spirit with your radiant glow,
And whisper your wisdom into my soul.'
Feel the moon's energy enveloping you, opening your heart and mind to Selûne’s presence. Allow her messages to flow through you, bringing clarity, peace, and divine insight..."
Verik looks incredibly confused at Kiley's words at first, but sudden realization cross his face.
"I must have been in that...state for way longer than I thought. The last thing I remember is Lucina standing in that spot, reading that book." he says, confirming Kiley's line of thought. "I am trying to recall where I was, what I was seeing, in that trance. But it is slow going, I will need time to gather my thoughts and remember. What kind of fiery creatures?"
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"And what else can you tell us about our mysterious missing priestess?" Ari asks. "Nobody else has been able to tell us much about her."
"She was a wonderful help, actually. I remember her being so nervous when she first arrived, but once she got to this very archive she dove into doing research on our unique problems." his voice takes on a certain admiring tone that gives you the impression that Verik cares for this priestess.
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Shaggar takes off his bisht and offers it to the keeper since he needs clothes. ”This building, was it here before the village?”
The werewolf gratefully accepts the offer of clothing, wrapping it around himself. "This building, no. The lunar well was here before any of us found it, though. Stories tell of the first generation to settle in the Glade nearly a hundred years ago, and how they were drawn to the area through visions from the Lady of Silver."
"Would you mind if I changed back into my more...natural form? The process is quite gruesome to watch, I have heard, so I must warn you."
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While the others talk , Rutilux looks over the library, and it's many books, seeing if there are any titles of interest.
There are a few scrolls here and there that detect as magical but as far as the vast archive goes, Rutilux gets the idea that he'd need to spend many hours sorting through the books and scrolls and records here before getting anything of use out of it. Verik could probably help, but even he likely doesn't know everything that is held here.
Are you Verik, the Keeper? And do we need to be concerned for our safety or are you blessed by the moon and able to maintain control of yourself in this form?
The werewolf nods, seeming slightly disturbed.
"Yes, I am the Keeper of the Glade here, much good that seems to have done. You do not have to worry about me losing control of myself, I only remain in this form because I was forced into it and, uh, destroyed any clothing I may have had on at the time." he admits sheepishly.
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Can you tell us the last thing you remember? It'll help us know where to start.
"Yes, right, of course. Lucina was helping me research a way to commune with Selûne herself, here in this library."
He shakes his furred head a few times, as if trying to clear his head.
"What happened after that is less clear...murky. The chains I remember, but I do not know what happened to Lucina. Have you seen her? She is a priestess sent from the Gate before you, arrived yesterday."
The werewolf finally looks up after a moment, seemingly noticing your presence for the first time. He finally speaks, which reveals it as a he in the first place. His voice is deep and gravelly, as if he hasn't had water for quite a while.
"W...water would be nice, yes." he says, pointing to a vase sitting on a nearby table laden with books and scrolls.
After he has had a drink he stands up, revealing that his height closely matches Shaggars'. His voice is still deep when he speaks again, showing age, but the dryness in it has left.
"I am thankful for both the rescue and the water. Might I inquire as to who you are, exactly? And how you came to be here, of course."
I think both Sasha and Kiley are forgetting the +1 from Bless, which makes both of their attacks into hits, just barely. Assuming Ari takes the step over, that is.
Kiley and Sasha take shots at the second to last fiery creature, and somehow manage to extinguish its light.
Ari, however, continues a remarkable streak of bad luck, and Rutilux's spark show goes wide.
The last remaining...thing turns to the new threat but just as it looks to see what is approaching it, claws rake it from behind and it dissipates like the rest.
Combat over!
As the last fiery form disappears, the chains slowly disintegrate as well. A bright light exudes from the far end of the chain, burning ever quicker until it reaches the center of the room and finally release the werewolf at the center of the magic circle.
It falls to the ground, landing on its knees in the dead center of the archive room. Its head is hung low, obviously confused about its surroundings for the time being.
Did you know that none of you have Knowledge (Planes)? I didn't until I checked. The more you know!
Shaggar's axe dose in fact hit the flame creature, and dims its fiery light somewhat in front of your eyes, proving they can be hit and killed.
Kiley joins her blade with the gnoll's axe, and slays another.
Ari, however, is too surprised by the things emerging so quickly and misses. Rutilux's magic succeeds in knocking the thing over somehow, despite its state of being.
Pheliks scores a few hits on the one next to him, and Sasha's magic will make it easier to hit the ones remaining.
Reflex, Kiley:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14Kiley doesn't take any more burn damage on her turn.
The one that attacked Ari last time strangely ignores her this time, and moves to hit Sasha. Five foot step.
Kiley gets a small look at the book, which appears to be some sort of holy text of Selune. Within a few moments of picking up the book, however, a loud sizzling sound echoes around the room, coming from the magical ethereal chains.
The sizzling becomes hissing as four forms of golden light drips out of the chains, each of them bursting into flame as they emerge from the chain and drop onto the floor.
As the group moves into the room, the first unusual thing you notice is that the werewolf chained up in the middle is completely still: unnaturally so. As if they were frozen in place.
You don't see any other figures hiding amongst the shelves, and are able to make your way all the way up to the magic circle (Kiley was most likely right about that part) without the figure inside making even the tiniest movement.
Once you get nearly next to the circle and can see more clearly where the werewolf is looking, you see that the carved statue it's facing is in fact of Selune. Makes sense, given what you think this building might have once been. The Moonmaiden's arms are spread out in a warm gesture of apparent love, although the moonlight from above casts a dark shadow over the statue that almost gives it a sinister look. Resting on the floor of the chamber in front of said werewolf is a dusty old tome open to a page you can't quite see from here, but the book is displayed haphazardly, as if the reader dropped it on the floor suddenly.
The second unusual thing is the chains themselves; they aren't anchored to any actual point in the room, and are most certainly of magical make rather than any physical material.
Kiley looks through the crack in the door to see a massive room that must have once been the center of worship in this old temple which was then converted into a sort of main council chamber, but now looks to function as a clustered archive of sorts. It's lit both by numerous candles scattered about and moonlight filtering in from above, focused on the circle in the center of the room. Papers, documents, scrolls, and books all appear scattered throughout the room, some even sitting in piles next to the shelves they were pulled down from.
In the center of the room the floor is decorated with an elaborate silver-etched design, but Kiley can't clearly see the pattern. What she can see, however, is a wolf-like humanoid standing directly on the center of the motif. Silvery ethereal chains hang from points in midair, hanging suspended by nothing before latching onto four separate points on some sort of metal jacket on what you obviously recognize as a werewolf.
The werewolf itself is standing completely and unnaturally still, bent over as if in some great pain. It is looking away from the door, towards a large statue carved into the far wall. It's too far away for you to make out what the statue carving depicts, however.
Luckily, Ari and Shaggar don't need to get involved, as the captain seems to think for a few tense moments before silently nodding and letting you pass.
The heavy stone doors of the council chamber open slowly, revealing a foyer that is more elegant than you'd expect from a council chamber. It almost seems like this place could have served as the former temple of Selûne before the other one was built. The first thing you notice beyond the decorations that clearly look to be of a religious nature is how quiet the entire place is. You can't hear a single sound, or see a single person. The second is how much dust there is: this building hasn't seen much use recently, it seems.
Checking through the council building takes you a few minutes, as you explore a bare kitchen, empty offices and private meeting rooms, and even an unoccupied guard room. Finally, you reach the main council chamber, and see a bright silver light emanating from under the large wooden double door itself. A gentle tug on the door reveals it is not locked, and will open should you wish it to.
The group doesn't seem fully convinced to abandon their orders quite yet, but the captain takes a look at the worg's head and seems to be warming up to you.
"And what business would you have with him, per chance?"
The council chamber (Area 2) is a much more unadorned affair, a two story building with surprisingly few windows for such a place. It appears older than most of the rest of the construction you’ve seen around the village, minus maybe the chapel.
It has a large fan shaped staircase out front, and to either side are two smaller towers that appear to only be accessible from inside the building itself.
Standing in the general area in front of the door are half a dozen guards, wearing blue and silver robes and having longspears within reach. One of them, wearing a distinctive feathered helm, stands up from his post and grabs his spear before taking a few steps to the top of the stairs as you approach. Behind the helm, his eyes are stern and show moderate age.
”Halt. We have standing orders to allow no one to disturb the Keeper.”
Have you discovered anything useful you can pass on?
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We're supposed to talk to the guy who saw her last, right?
"As a matter of fact, I have. I did a little bit of investigating on the priestess that came here before us. Her name is Lucina, I have a basic description of what she looks like."
She lowers her voice before speaking the next part.
"The last person that is supposed to have seen her is the Keeper of this village, Verik. She is the only one that has been allowed inside the council chambers since he began his communion with the goddess herself."
Luckily it seems as if the crowd takes it extremely well, seeing the beast defeated and its head right in front of them makes the crowd extremely happy. The news of Amos' death mutes the mood a slight bit, but the fact that they aren't under threat from the monster in the woods alleviates their fear. A few of them volunteer to go recover his body on their own once you tell them where he can be found.
"I'll head over there right now!" someone exclaims, before the crowd falls somewhat silent. "The outsider priest, you mean? We haven't seen her in a few days, the wolf must have gotten her." the voice says, sadly.
Lysandra seems impressed at the size of the thing, and says as much as she pulls you aside from the crowd once the celebration is done.
"Truly an impressive kill. What is this about more work, though? What other leads do you have?"
Making your way out of the cave and into the forest to hang the totem safely away in a tree, Shaggar does a fantastic job at hiding your tracks so that no one will find where you hid it.
That done, you head back into the village proper with the worg's head, causing every villager you pass to stare incredulously at both it and you. A few call out victory cries, congratulating or thanking you on slaying the beast.
You make it back to the inn without being accosted too much, but a small crowd has gathered around the building by the time you arrive. Seems like you have begun to gather some fame with this first accomplishment.
"Is that the beast? Are we safe now?" one calls out. "Are we free to leave the village now?" another asks. Finally, Lysandra emerges from the inn to greet you.
"What's going on out here, what's this?" she says, pointing to the head you're carrying.
2. There is some rock, I’ll allow a survival check to hide your tracks. Plenty of large trees around, hanging the totem in one of them is easy enough.
Also, I forgot! For defeating the worg and uncovering the secrets of the totem, you earn one Hero Point! Here is an explanation of what you can use Hero Points for. One of my other games (that I’m a player in, actually) is using them and they really enhance the game. So I figured we’d use them!
So, to keep things moving, who/where exactly are you going to talk to?
You’ve got a few leads (which I can review for you if it’d help), as well as a couple of NPCs that you could ‘report to’. Councilman Aldric told you to meet him at his house later in the day, and Lysandra is gathering info from the townspeople around and in the tavern.
Sasha focuses herself on the vision held inside the totem, feeling herself connect to the spirit remnants inside the wood. It's weird and she can't really explain the feeling, but somehow Sasha senses a connection beyond what Kiley recounted. Something about her is almost reaching out to the toem.
She experiences the vision exactly like Kiley described it. Except, right at the end, she catches one single last thought before the worg passes into sleep. A singular frame flashes inside her mind of a strange room full of tubes and a singular man, draped in a long gown of white. The sight passes quickly, and she cannot glean any more info than that from the totem.
Ari ponders the question of there being lycanthropes among them. "Well I suppose it's possible. It would certainly make it easier to hide in the village if you were a skinchanger. I do have one potentially large flaw in the theory though: the enormous moon pressing down on us all. Rumour and hearsay has it that werewolves change into slavering beasts at the full moon and there's no escaping the one hanging over Silvermoon Glade right now."
Ari recalls that while there are werewolves that are forcefully turned upon the full moon (which will be tomorrow if the calendar affects this strange place), natural-born werewolves have much more control over their forms and transformation.
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Then she gingerly touches the totem, trying to divine a way to activate it manually...
Sasha examines the carved totem, and supposes that whatever is left of the massacred goblins' spirits migrated to the totem after they died and imparted the vision of their death onto it. She figures out a way to reactivate it by attuning with the wood, and can experience the vision herself if she so wishes.
Rutilux can attest that there are two kinds of werewolves: the bite infected kind that are force-changed on the full moon, and the natural born ones. He can't identify who this 'Malrath' is, but he knows enough about Selunite villages to suggest that there may be a center of knowledge somewhere that might have more info on any names that might be important. Not really a formal library so much as a collection of information, but it would be useful nonetheless.
The wolf headed figures are most likely werewolves, and the spiral and chain matches the same symbol that you’ve encountered before with the shipping crates. The star shape looks to be some sort of box, or a container for something? Beyond that, Shaggar can’t glean too much more without access to a source of more information.
Rutilux picks up on Ari's hint, and casts detect magic towards the pool. He returns a moderate auras of divination and necromancy.
Ari and Kiley begin the descent into the water and find the pool completely unremarkable, and easy to swim through. As the pair swim down through the clear water, the totem becomes larger and larger. Once they're close enough to touch they see that they are lucky to have brought two people, as the totem is actually nearly as tall as Ari herself is and made of thick wood.
The first person to touch it (presumably Ari) is suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of emotions shooting straight into their head.
Vision:
You are a predator. The strength of the forest runs through you, and today you are claiming your lair. Your four legs carry you swiftly past the numerous trees until you find it, a small cave opening home to a tribe of goblins.
Malrath is with you, and together you shall take them by surprise. They expect only you, not the other. He might not be a worg but he is strong. Useful. He was approached by the paleskin to eat the tribe and grow strong, and you have pledged yourself to him.
The cave entrance comes into sight finally as you sprint through the open forest. The two of you hardly pause before sprinting inside, and are upon the goblins in a moment. Claws tear through armor and bone, teeth rip through flesh. Flashes of combat separated by long periods of emptiness whir through your mind as you lose yourself in the bloodshed.
You only snap out of it as your jaws clamp around the last remaining goblin, the tribes' leader. His dying whimpers invigorate both you and Malrath, and the two of you feast upon the flesh of many goblins before the night is over.
This place will make a nice nest for the coming years, you think, as you rest your head on what remains of the goblin's beds before falling into a deep sleep.
Once the pair recovers from the vision one suffers and drags the large totem out onto the land, it is clear that the carvings on the log have been etched into the wood over many years.
There are many smaller scenes cut into the bottom half: wolves running through a forest, a strange 8-pointed star shaped device sitting on a pedestal, a head wearing a halo with liquid running from its eyes, the tips of a small crescent moon poking out from behind a large disk, an empty well surrounded by wisps of shadow, a massive castle seemingly deep underground, and a large lake with a single rowboat on it.
The largest image at the top of the totem depicts several wolf-headed figures kneeling before a large symbol at the top: a large spiral with a single line of chain cutting through it.
The wolf's head continues to drain silver blood for a few more minutes before finally the flow of the weird liquid stops.
Ari and Shaggar manage to work together to uncover what can be found in the giant wolf's lair. Most of the floor is littered with bones and other remains (clothes and the like), but one particular corner of the cave sits a large pile of debris and sticks crafted to create a small nest-like area. Strewn about inside are a number of small objects and coin, amounting to 256 GP and 43 SP in total. The smaller objects include an intricately carved wooden scroll case, a tarnished silver holy symbol of Selune, a trio of masterwork shortswords that were most likely made in the same place, and a small gem encrusted metal case that looks to have been scratched and clawed but not cracked open.
And yet, that's not all. Shaggar, with his sharp eyes and claws, manages to uncover a second lair of the nest underneath the top one. More goblin bones form the outer edge of this second lair, and Shaggar finds another 315 GP scattered throughout it. These coins are obviously older than the previous coins, but are still recognizable as spendable currency. Another group of weapons sit amongst the coin, though they have long since rusted in the moisture inside this room.
As Shaggar looks down into the water, he can clearly see something laying on the bottom of the pool. It appears to be a carved log about the size of his forearm, but he can't make out much else.
Well don't forget that you don't die die perma until you're at negative Con hit points. and we do 1/2 HD rounded up, so that gives you 16 hit points total (plus 1 from favored class if you do that, I think you went with skill point for level 1?) Kiley's Con is 11, so you have an effective 27 hit points of damage until you perma die, and you can be stabilized immediately by Sasha and healed from there.
Close near-death experience, but you're not quite dead yet!
The wolf pounces on the opening left by Kiley's stumble and its large jaws clamp around her waist before it throws her to the side in triumph.
Its victory is short-lived, however, as a couple of good hits (including the finishing touch of Rutilux's electric touch) finally manage to take it down. As it dies, however, a horrifying and gorey explosion of that silver blood erupts out of the wounds it suffered as its corpse falls to the ground, washing over the group.
Neither of the two of you notice any immediate side effects from the contamination, however.
Noticed you haven't updated your character sheet for level 2 Kiley, but you take 25 damage from the bite crit. Seeing as how the wolf died, you should be fine and able to be healed by your party. Also, per the rules you just have a Dex score of 0, but are still allowed a reflex save somehow when unconscious.
Combat over! Will give you a bit of time to react and save Kiley before describing what else is in the room.
Shaggar draws the beast's attention and almost takes a bite to the shoulder for his efforts, but manages to doge before delivering an equally punishing blow back to the wolf. Ari sneaks around but the beast's eyes pierce the darkness and renders her subterfuge useless, and yet her dagger still finds purchase in its flesh. Kiley misses, but Pheliks manages to draw a bit of blood as well.
The wolf roars in anger as the cuts mount up, silvery blood dripping from each wound. He lashes out at Kiley in anger, but she is too quick for him to latch his jaws onto.
Are you in the Roll20 game? I have to assign your token to you before you can move it, and I can’t do that on mobile effectively (at work). What’s your name there, I’ll assign it to you when I get home this afternoon.
Ari has seen enough goblin remains in her life to recognize them when she sees them, and the pile of bones inside the side chamber of the cave is nearly exclusively comprised of goblin bones. A few broken weapons of poor quality are scattered among the bones, but Shaggar finds a well-made dagger hidden deep in the pile.
Continuing on down the path leads you to a short downward slope into an larger cavern area, revealing the source of the water sound you've constantly heard throughout the entire cave: a waterfall pouring from an opening about halfway down the far wall empties into a pool in the middle of the cavern.
Standing in front of said pool is perhaps the largest wolf you've ever seen, bright red eyes focused on you the entire time you walk down the stairs.
Perception DC 15:
The wolf has strange silvery stains all over its fur and claws, and its eyes have a strange silver tint to it that you didn't notice at first.
Knowledge Arcana DC 14:
This wolf is actually a worg, an intelligent evil wolf-like creature often found dwelling among goblins or other savage races. This particular example of a worg is significantly larger and stronger-looking than others of its kind.
Luckily, it doesn't seem as if anything immediately reacts to Kiley's misstep. Perhaps nothing is here, or perhaps the water sound echoing through the cave hides most sounds.
The group passes through the hallway and can see into the room on the right, which reveals a horrifying sight: an entire mound of skeletons about waist high on top of the cavern floor. A quick glance isn't enough to determine what kind of skeletons they are, as they mostly seem to be dusty and forgotten, but you could probably get a better look up close. Whatever happened here happened a long time ago.
The old blood trail continues down the hallway, the slaughter that caused it most likely long forgotten.
Unfortunately, it is exactly what Kiley thinks it is: bones. The floor is littered loosely with a thin covering of bones that, upon closer inspection, are from a wide variety of creature types. Most humanoid, a few very clearly not.
The group moves slowly up to the corner of the cave where it curves into the hallway further beyond, climbing up past a small slope after which the mostly dirt floor changes to full on rock.
Shaggar can see immediately that on top of the rock floor ahead of you is a worryingly large blood trail leading deeper into the cave in both directions of a fork. The blood is obviously old, not even close to being fresh at all. The water sound seems to be echoing from the southern branch of the fork.
The small opening in the rock leads down through a tunnel that opens into a wider cavern are below the ground. The smell of death returns almost immediately, but instead of being the fresh metallic scent of new blood, it's the dry earthy smell of older decay.
There are claw marks all throughout the opening cave mouth, most of them seemingly just trails scraped into the soft earth. The sound of water echoes from around the corner that doesn't sound quite like a river or anything, more like a small pool lapping in the reverberations of the cave walls. Whatever it is, it makes it hard to hear anything else.
A few steps past the dirt at the opening and you notice the slight feel of something snapping underfoot with every further step.
It looks easy enough to get into, yeah. Medium creature sized entrance at least. Looks basically like a natural opening to the outcropping.
Rutilux is able to remember a handful of common things about werewolves (shapechangers, connected to the moon, weak to silver, etc), but not very much specific.
On the ‘gaps’ between the footprints… are the prints deeper just before they disappear and when they reappear? In other words, is there any evidence that the creature is leaping or maybe taking brief flight and that’s what is making the gaps?
Strangely enough, no. It doesn't look like any jumping or flying going on. They just completely disappear and then reappear without a single disruption beyond them missing. Quick note on the tracks as well: they are moving towards the field and out of the forest, not into it. Just clarifying!
Quote:
He grabs the crossbow and silver quarrel from the corpse, quickly searches for more quarrels
Shaggar finds a heavy crossbow and 10 silver bolts.
Stealth, Shaggar:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
The gnoll continues following the trail on his own past the edge of the field, and it leads him a few minutes into the forest. The trail itself is very straightforward, as if whatever made it knew exactly where to go. Eventually the 'hunt' ends at what looks to be an outcropping of rock in a, and Shaggar can see the entrance to a small cave towards the base of the small collection of rock jutting out from the ground.
The journal is weathered and old, with most of it being mundane entries that don't appear to be very useful or relevant. This changes in the writings about a week and a half ago.
Journal:
Entry 1: 17th of Uktar
Today was bad. Woke up to find my best cow, Bessie, dead in the field. Her throat was tore out, meat taken from her. Seen wolf attacks before, but this was different. Bigger, more savage. Worried 'bout the rest of the herd.
Entry 2: 21st of Uktar
Another attack last night. Two cows this time, killed same way. Whatever it is, it's strong and smart. Been hearing strange howls in the distance. Villagers whisperin' 'bout werewolves. Don't wanna believe it, but what else?
Entry 3: 23rd of Uktar
Attacks getting worse. Three more cows dead this morning. Doubled the fencing, bringing the cows into the barn at night. Nothin' stops it. Howling is closer now. Saw something big and dark at the edge of the forest, but it disappeared quick. Afraid for my farm.
Entry 4: 25th of Uktar
Villagers sure it's a werewolf now. The lady up at the manor says she seen it near her house. Huge, black creature with glowing eyes, she said. Keeping a crossbow by my bed now, but feel helpless. What if it comes for me next?
Entry 5: 27th of Uktar
Found tracks today. Big and wolf-like, but too big for any wolf. Followed them to the forest, but they disappeared like the beast vanished. Howling at night is unbearable. Villagers say call a hunter, but who would believe me or help?
Entry 6: 28th of Uktar
Saw the creature last night. Not a wolf or any animal I know. Massive, with glowing red eyes. Looked like a demon from old tales, not anything I've ever seen before. What else could it be? Gonna leave a trap for it, see if I can't end this for good.
Once you're done examining the scene of the crime as it were, Shaggar picks up the trail from where the beast must have entered the area from. The tracks themselves are actually fairly large, disturbing plants and dirt in the crops, with four large toe marks in each print. Luckily it seems the dirt here is quite rich, and the footprints (or paw prints as it were) are quite easy to follow.
The trail leads away from the cow deeper into the field, but Shaggar sees an extremely weird pattern in the tracks after a little bit of following them. Every few feet the prints disappear, but then pick back up in the same direction a few feet after that. The trail is still straight, just has weird parts every now and then where the footprints aren't there.
You follow the strange track for a bit before it hits the edge of the field and heads into the trees to the northwest.
Shaggar isn’t able to determine much from all the brutality, but Sasha takes another look and together they find several interesting pieces of information.
First, there are multiple large bites taken out of Amos’ shoulders and neck, looking more intended for consumption than wounds during battle, and two large claw marks on his upper arms as if something was holding them. These wounds appear to be relatively bloodless, indicating that they happened sometime after death. Second, while the ripped arm is most likely the main cause of his death, Shaggar finds the snapped-off tip of what looks like an arrow or spear head embedded a few inches into the man’s chest. Finally, the crossbow Amos was holding was loaded with an intricate bolt crafted from silver. The weapon itself looks too hard to use with one hand, though he most certainly tried.
Once you leave the house and head into the field to follow the other end of the track, Shaggar finds that it’s relatively easy to use his skills to hunt down the end of the trail. The stench of blood and meat is much less overwhelming than was inside the house, but is still somewhat present.
Once pointed out, the group can easily see where the removal of Amos’ arm happened, as a large pool of dry blood surrounds the limb at the spot where the trail ends. It, too, has several mouthfuls of flesh torn from it.
A few feet away from the arm, a dead and obviously chewed-on cow lays on its side.
You can just use the second roll as a second try. There's no penalty for failure, and you can try again.
Shaggar struggles with the door at first, but is finally able to push the barricade down after a second attempt. He opens the door to a sight of tranquil horror.
The inside of the house is as sparsely decorated as you'd expect, given the state of the building in general. A narrow bed, its thin mattress sagging with age, stands against one wall. Its woolen blanket, rough and worn, is neatly folded, indicating Amos’ habit of maintaining order even in his modest surroundings. Nearby, a crude wooden chair is tucked under a small, rickety table, the surface of which holds a solitary lamp, a few tin cups, and a chipped plate. The remnants of a frugal meal—a crust of bread and a piece of dried meat—lie on the plate, untouched.
In one corner of the room, a rusted iron stove provides warmth and a means to cook. A small stack of firewood and a few cooking utensils are arranged neatly beside it. Above the stove, a single shelf holds a sparse collection of items: a book that looks like a holy text or a journal, a mounted elk skull, a hand carved wooden statue of the moon, amongst a few other personal items.
The air is thick with the scent of earth and sweat, mingling with the faint, acrid odor of blood. Near the bed, a dark, congealed pool of blood stains the rough wooden floor, leading to the still form of Farmer Amos. He sits on the floor, the edge of the bed holding his corpse upright. It is clear now where the trail of blood was coming from, and why it was so large: Amos' right arm has been completely ripped off, the torn flesh around the shoulder a grim testament to the savage damage it endured. He is quite obviously dead even at a quick glance, and has been so for some time. Matches up with how old the blood trail is, actually, once you think about it.
The last things you notice are Amos' eyes: open and lifeless, and his remaining hand clutching a weathered and loaded crossbow in a final, futile grasp.
Shaggar receives no answer besides the sounds of the farm, and Ari doesn't see anything besides a handful of cows eating over the remains of the crops that have been harvested already.
The blood trail leads two ways from the spot of discovery, one leading towards the house and the other into the fields. With Shaggar’s expertise, he’s able to determine that whatever produced this much blood left the field and headed towards the house.
Getting closer to the house, Ari and Shaggar can see more details of it. It’s basically a small simple shack: apparently Amos doesn’t share the same love of detail and grandeur that Lena has. A single door is the only entrance, with no windows interrupting the plain wooden walls.
The trail leads the pair of investigators right up to that single door, and when Shaggar gently tries it he discovers that it is barricaded from the other side. Significantly so, actually, as if whatever is inside is trying to keep something from getting inside. It’ll need a little work and a good push to be opened.
