Shadow of Ravenfield

Feeling the urgency from the letter Hayley had received, we set out the morning after the celebrations. The journey would take us about three days, which fortunately passed without much issue. Meaning that we arrived at Ravensfield just after noon on the third day.
 
My first impression of Ravensfield was tinted with a sense of nostalgia. While it was certainly larger than Tarn, the village's quaintness brought back fond memories after those long years away from home. And while she tried to keep her emotions in check, I could tell that Hayley was more than a little happy to be back at her new home. And from what I could see as we walked down the streets, the feeling was mutual. As many of the villagers stopped what they were doing in order to welcome her back.
 
There was however a bit of a surprise waiting for Hayley. A surprise that came in the form of a barn that they were erecting in the centre of the village. It seemed that some outsiders had arrived in and had hired some folks in order to build it. hearing this, Hayley decided to first pay a quick stop at the barn in order to feel things out.
 
When we got there, we were quickly approached by a man named Bart. It was he who had started the construction of the barn to serve as some sort of headquarters for his group, the restoration society. Unfamiliar with the group, we listened as he explained their mission was to rebuild the various villages that were destroyed in the north during the war with the Fernhunter. As well as restore the economic power of the region. A noble cause to be sure.
 
Her curiosity sated, Hayley continued to guide us towards her home. When we arrived, we were quickly greeted by a kobold named Zem. Hayley had explained to us earlier that she shared her home with both Zem and a dragonborn by the name of Saphira. And after some pleasantries, where it seemed like Liliana could kill the young kobold with a stare after a poorly worded comment concerning the deal that she had made, he explained to us the various problems that were plaguing the village.
 
The first of which were a string of thefts that were occurring throughout the village. It seemed that around sunrise, various items around the village went missing. At a rate that was to frequent to be explained as them simple being misplaced. The curiosity here however was that nothing of real value was being stolen. Mostly food and survival gear in fact. Which caused us to figure that Ravenfield might have a hidden visitor in the area.
 
Speaking of which, this brought us to the second problem and this one was without a doubt more serious. You see various tracks had been found in the area that hinted to the presence of some kind of large beast. Which was reinforced by attacks that were happening on cattle like sheep and the like. In fact two shepherds had died just a few nights ago. Most likely in an attempt to protect their flock. Or simple because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
When asked about the nature of the tracks, Zem admitted that there was some disagreement on what might have made them. Some like himself believed that the tracks were most likely made by some sort of Drake, while others like Sapphira believed that the creature was in fact some kind of large cat. A fact that they had obviously been arguing about for some time. So before another argument could break out, as well as seeing the urgency of the attacks in comparison to the theft problem, we asked them if they could show us the most recent tracks so we might get an idea ourselves on what we were dealing with.
 
When we finally reached the tracks that Zem had mentioned, it immediately became clear as to why there was so much debate over their origin. As even the combined efforts of Hayley, Liliana and myself, we were unable to figure what might have made them. We did agree on a few facts however. The creature was at least the size of a horse or bear, and it walked on four legs. Also, while at first glance one might mistake these tracks as those of a drake, this creature had four toes instead of three. Which gave the tracks a more catlike appearance. Yet, unlike most cats of this size, which have retractable claws, these tracks clearly showed non-retractable claws. Which left us with a complete mystery.
 
This left us with little more to do than follow the tracks themselves. We followed them deep into the forest for about an hour before losing them. The trail had simply stopped. My first guess was that the creature might have taken off into the sky or climbed a tree, but the tracks provided no evidence of this. We did however noticed another strange thing. The creature had been pacing around this spot, perhaps due to agitation or injury. But in the end, all we managed to find were a handful of black scales and a single large claw.
 
Hayley and Liliana offered the notion that perhaps this creature was another construct. Similar to the one that had attacked us just outside of Keralon. And while this was certainly possible, it was definitely not one that I wanted to consider. For it would mean that this cult we were dealing with had even more resource than I had dared to imagine. So with a desperate need for answers, I decided to turn to the only witnesses we had of the creature. The sheep of Ravensfield.
 
Now before you call for a healer, allow me to explain. This is a trick I learned some time ago. Using my connection with the primal energies of the land in order to communicate with animals. It allows me to speak with them just as we are doing right now. The challenge, however, is that an animal's perception is vastly different from ours, making it sometimes difficult to convey specific wants or needs. This is especially true for farm animals like cows, geese, or sheep, so I tend to avoid such conversations whenever possible. And for good reason. For while I did learn that we were dealing with a large black creature with a spiked tail and no wings, it also served to give me a splitting headache.
 
With no success in either tracking down the creature or figuring out its identity, we were left with only one course of action. Wait for it to come to us. As Zem had explained, the creature usually stalked the village at night. So, we decided to hold a stakeout and see if we could catch it that way. And the best place for that, was atop the barn that the Restoration society was building. Dan was not that enthusiastic about this, but considering the urgency of the situation, he agreed to our use of it. provided that we took care not to damage it.
 
Before we began our vigil, we were treated to a delightful lunch courtesy of Zem and Saphira. It was especially entertaining to see Saphira, upon learning from Luke that Hayley was now an official knight, questioning Alistan on the double standard as to why he received a magic sword and Hayley did not. A nice bit of enjoyment before the coming storm.
 
It was just after midnight when I noticed a large shadow entering the village. I quickly alerted Liliana and while she roused the others, decided to go ahead in order to take a closer look. As I was worried about not only the risk of us losing the creature, but also of the risk of it encountering someone else while the others got ready for the confrontation.
 
It didn't take me long to find it. And as I observed it from the shadows, I quickly realized why we had so much trouble identifying its tracks. It was unlike any creature I had ever encountered before, a mix between a drake and a large cat, with fangs the size of my forearm. Awe inspiring to be sure, but deadly with every step it took. I was more than a little glad that I had decided to approach it from the shadows and wait for the others instead of confronting it by myself. Unfortunately, that choice was taken from me when the creature turned its gaze towards me and I knew I was not the hunter here.
 
I immediately used my magic to misty step to a rooftop, hoping to gain some distance. But to my utter shock, the drake did something similar, stepping into one shadow only to appear out of the shadow of the chimney that I was hiding behind. It lunged towards me. And while I managed to avoid those sharp fangs, I failed to take its spiked tail into account as it knocked the wind out of me. I failed to account for its spiked tail, which knocked the wind out of me. I was only saved by the timely arrival of the others, signalled by the spells that hit the creature in its flank. Seeing that it was outnumbered, the creature fled into the shadows once more.
 
We searched the area and fortunately found a trail of its blood leading toward the forest. We immediately gave chase of course, running as fast as we could in an effort to catch it. But despite our efforts, the creature eluded us once more and we lost the trail around sunrise. And as we searched for any sign that might point towards its direction, a suspicion came to me. I don’t know why, but I was reminded of a that I once read a couple of years ago, “Under the moon”. In short it is the story of the doomed love between a werewolf and a huntress. Following my instincts, I decided to look for other tracks in the immediate area. And sure enough, I quickly found barefoot tracks heading toward the village. Meaning that our drake might actually be a shapeshifter.
 
We followed the trail to a small camp a bit away from the village. Unsure of what we might find, we decided to announce ourselves first. Though there was no response. Thus, we hid ourselves and waited for whoever was staying there to return, although I did question Liliana’s choice of hiding inside the tent itself. With the boots of her armour sticking out from under it. It was thus no surprise that when a half-elven man approached the camp, he was quick to notice our presence there. He tried to sneak away from us, but we quickly managed to cornered him, causing him to surrender.
 
He introduced himself as Raynis, a hunter from Drybank. And he had quite the story to tell. You see, one day, while at home in his hut, he was attacked by a small group of men. Who proceeded to not only knock him unconscious, but also take him with them to their, for lack of a better word, lair. Where they performed some dark ritual that placed a devastating curse upon him. And as you might have already guessed, it is this curse that forces him to transform into that creature every night.
 
He wasn't sure how long he was held there. But while they were keeping him there, he did manage to overhear his captors saying that the ritual was a failure. It was most likely for this reason that they eventually led him go. But having no idea where he was, as well as the knowledge that he was a danger to everyone around him, he didn’t exactly have a lot of options. So ultimately he decided to simple stay away from everyone and stay in the forest. Only occasionally venturing into Ravensfield in order to get some crucial supplies. Which explained the robberies that had been plaguing the village.
 
On a hunch, and with a slight feeling of dread I might add, I drew the same mark in the sand that was tattooed on those cultists we captured earlier. Which Caused my heart to sank into my stomach as Raynis confirmed that the once who captured him did indeed bore the same mark. It seemed Hayley’s and Liliana’s earlier comments about the attacks possibly being the work of a golem controlled by the cult were not far off the mark. Which as I stated earlier was most disturbing.
 
We vowed to Raynis that we would help him lift his curse, though that would be easier said than done as we had little to go on. What with Raynis having had no clear memory of where the cultists' lair was and we lacking the means to undo the curse at that time. So we decided on the next best thing. We would contact Sir Donovan at Keralon to both inform him of our situation and request for reinforcements, in particular a cleric or mage. In the meantime, we would keep an eye on Raynis to ensure that neither he nor anyone else would get hurt during his transformations.
 
With that decided, Liliana and I stayed with Raynis while the others returned to the village to send the message and gather supplies for the night. As we were waiting for them to return, I noticed a most peculiar tree in the distance. Now I know what you are thinking, a tree in a forest is not that unusual. But the thing is, this tree was waving at me. Intrigued, I decided to go and take a closer look. And just as I was about to place my hand on it, a lovely dryad stepped out from the tree.
 
Cautiously, she introduced herself as Ash and asked if I was indeed Gael, a friend of Sylvesse. When I confirmed, she visibly relaxed and proceeded to give me a warning. She wanted me to know that Raynis was very dangerous and that I should be careful. I thanked her but explained that my friends and I were already aware of this and intended to help him remove the curse. She understood and told me that she knew where he came from. She understood and revealed that she knew where he came from. Apparently, he emerged from a tomb about half a day away from the village, called Hollow Hill. The tomb was named so because it was situated in a small hill that had recently been radiating with unnatural energies.
 
I thanked her for the information and said that my friends and I would go to inspect it. However, that was not the only warning she wanted to give me. She also wanted to warn me about Liliana, or rather her connection to her patron, Lady Vivienne. This was most surprising, but thinking back, not that much. For while I trust Lilianna, I cannot say the same for her patron or said patron’s master. I thanked her again but assured her that Liliana was a kind soul.
 
With that, we said our goodbyes, and I returned to Raynis and Liliana. When the others returned, I informed them of what Ash had told me. It was without question that we would need to go and inspect this tomb as soon as possible, as it might hold the key to releasing Raynis. So we decided that we would leave first thing tomorrow morning. As we still had some business to take care of that evening.
 
Of course we had attempted a few things to prevent Raynis from transforming, such as giving him a sleeping potion, but nothing worked, and the change came over him. This time, when faced with the choice between fight or flight, he chose to fight, and it proved to be a deadly one. Things looked grim when he unleashed a breath weapon of necrotic energy over a large area, badly wounding both Liliana and Alistan. However, we managed to subdue him in the end. And as he lay there unconscious, he shifted back into his normal form.
 
As I sat down while Hayley administered some much-needed first aid to the twins, I fervently hoped we would find a cure in the tomb. Not just for Raynis, but also for us, as I feared for our survival if we had to face this ordeal every night for the foreseeable future.