Session 39: Stranger Things in a Wolf's clothing Report

General Summary

Session 39 – Wednesday May 3, 2023 – The Druid Ogian - Finding wolf imposters

4 Hour Role Play/battle session 5:30 PM to 10:00PM

The Stone Bearers. Party of 5

It is the 29th day of the month of Uktar (The Rotting) in the 50th year of the Age of Enialis (Late November.)

• Abrash – Wood (Desert) Elf, L7 Druid – Jacob Munson
• Ajani– High Elf, L7 Wizard – Nathan Gioconda (School)
• Gazlowe – Goblin, L6 Artificer – Josh Pozsonyi
• Thomas – Human, L7 Blood hunter – Ryan Armstrong (Remote)
• Isabella – Forest Gnome, L7 Barbarian – Jackie Armstrong
• Juan Peyote – Gnome L7 Paladin – Will Johnson

Finding more wolves.

Ajani, looking at his unusually long fingernails, vanished from their midst. Abrash glared at Gazlowe. “Wasn’t me,” he said.

Abrash was also infected with Lycanthropy. His anger stirred, but shrugged it off and climbed a tree for a better view. The chill of the evening succumbed to the warmth of the moonlight as he emerged to the tree line. Determined to remain focused, Abrash scanned the sky and noticed the fading tail of a comet in the eastern horizon. With rapid efficiency, he note of it in his star chart and turned his gaze downward.

He watched a pack of wolves stalk, attack and kill a deer in a matter of minutes. He gracefully lept from the tree and relayed information about the wolves. He added, “Comets are always a bad sign.” He then led them to the wolves.

They reached the wolves quickly as they were in the midst of ripping the flesh off the deer. Thomas cast Thamaturgy and said “Boo” but the wolves stood their ground and growled at the party, protecting their meal. The party assumed they were normal wolves and walked away.

Slaughtered wolves.

Thomas noticed more tracks, that led the party to a pack of slaughtered wolves. Examining the scene, they determined the wolves were slashed to death, perhaps with a blade, perhaps with claws. They spotted tracks of a humanoid fighter wearing heavy boots and more wolve tracks that traced up a hill. Abrash went first to investigate.

The tracks and the party circled the hill until the party heard wolf cries from the darkness on top. Abrash was first to notice something odd about the wolf cries. They sounded like someone was mimicking a wolf call and doing it very well. The party walked ascended the hill stealthily, almost.

Stranger things in Wolf’s clothing

When they got to the top of the hill, they saw six wolves near a dead male Elf with damaged splint mail and a great sword. Abrash had cast speak with animals and tried to ask the beasts what was going on, but the beasts didn’t communicate. Now, Abrash realized they weren’t beasts and cast Spike Growth on them.

All the creatures began to transform into hideous aberrations known as “The Flesh.” Their bodies ripped open exposing teeth and bones on their insides (think John Carpenters’ “The Thing.”) Isabella ran towards the creatures, axe in front of her, and began the attack. Only a couple of the creatures were affected by the spike growth. The others puked acid from their stomachs onto the closest threats: Isabella and Abrash, causing Abrash to lose concentration on his Spike Growth. They noticed deep wounds quickly healed before they could further the damage.

Gazlowe wisely knocked one off the cliff, leaving it unconscious. Surprisingly, it soon ascended the cliff again. A quick observation caused Gazlowe to see their vulnerability to fire damage. Abrash summoned his fey creature, hit one of the creatures through his archer trait, and then ran down the hill to hide. He yelled out, “Retreat.” Gazlowe replied, “We got this!” Isabella knocked another down but knew it would get up in a moment. Juan tried to save his War Rooster mount, but it didn’t take long for the creatures to kill his valiant steed. Still, Juan knocked another down.

Gazlowe ignited his firebolt to kill off unconscious creatures one-at-a-time. Thomas set fire to his whip, attacked the creatures and prevented them from healing. Abrash followed suit. Isabella took an alchemist fire from Gazlowe and killed one of the creatures.

The party fought bravely for some time, but Isabella was in the middle of the action. She kept getting pummeled by these things, along with Abrash and Thomas. After three rounds, all three all lay on the hill dying.

Gazlowe, inspired by the urgent need to heal his friends (and for the fun of watching living things burn) continued to finish them off with fire damage. Juan aided Gazlowe until he caught sight of Thomas near death. Juan used Lay on Hands to revive Thomas just before he died. Thomas rolled over to Abrash and used Spare the Dying to bring him back from death. Juan brough back Isabella with Lay on Hands as Gazlowe gleefully finished off the last creature with a firebolt.

Desperate for a Rest

Coming out of their near-death experience, they immediately began looting the body of the dead elf. They found a necklace with a raven carved from Bone. They also found:

• Splint Mail (damaged, worth about 100gp, but can be fixed for about 50gp.)
• 6 pp, 24gp, 5ep and 20sp 2cp.
• 2 splash potions of greater healing
• 1 Potion of fire breath
• 1 potion of Frost Giant Strength
• 1 Great sword
• heavy crossbow with 18 bolts

Somebody set up the tent, and Juan and Isabella fell asleep immediately. Everyone else claimed shifts for watch. Thomas took first shift and Gazlowe agreed to do 2nd shift.

Hungry Like the Wolf

Abrash went to rest and had a nightmarish vision of the wolves in the woods eating the deer. Thomas diligently on watch, saw an Albino werewolf dash out of the tent. Thomas saw what happened and chased after him. He watched silently as Abrash the Albino Werewolf stalked a deer. He readied his bow and unleashed the arrow to the deer’s heart Just as Abrash pounced on the Deer. Thomas shot it so Abrash wouldn’t have any guilt. Abrash ripped into the deer and Thomas kept watch from a nearby tree.

A few hours later, Gazlowe got up for his shift. Thomas was missing. Puzzled, he searched the tent and found Abrash gone, and his sheets ripped. He quickly realized who Thomas was keeping watch over. He tracked Thomas and the werewolf. Eventually he found them, and sat next to Thomas. They watched over Abrash until the sun began to rise and Abrash reverted to his normal form having no memory of the evening’s events or how he came to have no clothes. His friends made Abrash some leaves to wear and brought him back to the camp.

Back to Ogian

Juan and Isabella had a good night’s sleep. They awoke to their three exhausted friends trudging back to camp. Briefed on Abrash’s situation, Juan and Isabella packed up the tent, and they all returned to speak with Ogian.

They found Ogian outside the Stronghold of the Nine and told him of the evening’s events. Ogian addressed the Lycanthrop and directed them to Darnath Stoneheart, a dwarf cleric who could help cure the disease. In thanks for taking care of the Wolf issue, Ogian gave them a token that would pay Darnath for his services. He also told them to speak with Warfus (the other dwarf) who can explain the situation in the Stronghold of the Nine.

Darnath was willing to cure Abrash, but unimpressed by the another of Ogian’s tokens. Reluctantly, she accepted the token to cure Abrash. Thomas gave her a donation of 90gp and she cast a prayer of healing on the group.

A bad haunting

They went to speak to Warfus who introduced himself as “Warfus, son of Borfus, son of Doofus son of Murthen.” He told them that his family has been working at the keep for 3 generations and his grandfather worked in the mines. He explained that the spirit of his grandfather and other dwarves have been disturbed and their ghosts have turned violent and are haunting the basement of the Stronghold. The Ghosts need to first be dealt with but they will return within 24 hours unless you sanctify their graves with a a ritual and some holy water. However, whatever has disturbed their graves must also be dealt with.

He explained that the dwarves are buried in crypts under the stronghold and the passageway has been sealed. The passageway leads to a dwarven mine and to vast caverns that run to various places all under the forest. Gazlowe asked if they’d be paid. Warfus told them he as 3 gems worth 100gp each and it would be worth it to set his grandfather’s spirit to rest.

The Smithy

Juan found an armorer in the camp and asked if the splint mail could be adjusted and repaired to fit him. The dwarf agreed to repair the broken splint mail in exchange for Juan’s chain mail. But first, he needed Juan to fetch a list of tools from the stronghold as he was too afraid to go into the Stronghold. Juan and Isabella spent some time searching the first floor of the Stronghold for the tools, while Abrash, Gazlowe and Thomas were escorted into the keep’s upper levels to find a comfortable bed and get some rest.

Isabella and Juan walked from room to room, looking for tools and finding many other things. Isabella eyed shiny gems in a jeweler’s room (worth 50gp each) and she pocketed them. Inspired to thievery, Juan took a sack of potatoes. Eventually Juan and Isabella found the tools. They stuffed all the tools they could find in a sack and dragged it to the camp. A rip in the bag overloaded tools caused a trail of miscellaneous sharp objects in their wake. The others slept soundly and the party regrouped in the early evening.

The Basement

Warfus gave the party a key to the basement and told them to let him know when the ghosts are dealt with. He’ll send in some laborers to clear the passage to the mine. Gazlowe asked if there are other entrances to the mines and Wafus said yes. The party descended to the basement. Juan’s war ostrich would not fit into the tight spaces and was left behind. Abrash pulled out small onyx dog and said, “Bow Wow Wow” and the dog turned into a Mastiff that Juan could ride. Juan smiled broadly.

In the basement, they saw a single strange spirit with 3 faces. Thomas recognized one of the faces as his dead daughter. He became frightened for a time. The spirit took a shot from Isabella’s crossbow and Thomas’ curse. It’s aim missed Gazlowe, thanks to Thomas. Gazlowe punched it with his gauntlets, but Isabella and Juan both succumbed to the scary presence of the creature and took psychic damage. Even Frightened, Juan was able to bloody the creature. Thomas (being a ghost hunter) overcame his fear and destroyed the spirit.

Another ghost came through the wall, pointed its finger at the group and let out a blood curdling scream…