Session 4 - What a Horrible Night to have a Curse!

General Summary

The adventurers quickly got on their feet to stay vigilant with the two werewolves that prowled toward them. Sunjar suggested backing toward the thin, cavernous hallways to take the brunt of the damage. The party retreated, and the werewolves tried to maul Sunjar and Org Orgenson, but their shields protected them from the ravenous bites of the werewolves. When the werewolves were killed, Amelie investigated their bodies. Yet, the party then heard foot steps of the happenings around the hallways. The clanging of plate armor, with someone saying, "I heard noise coming from this way!"
Org and Sunjar came toward the hallway doors again, and the party mowed down a Knight of Loxelel and some of the cultists. The adventurers got quite injured, but otherwise they survived the fight. They then went further down the cavern, and noticed a werewolf, wearing strange spectral armor, looking at them, and having people in cages. They closed the doors, and rested, hoping the werewolf did not come after them. During this, Thimbleswipe tried and failed to bar some of the doors with the help of Amalie.
When the hour passed, the party approached the lair of the werewolf leader, an apparent warlock, who called himself Hexclaw. The people in cages began to groan and shiver. The party demanded Hexclaw turn himself in, but he laughed, and told Amalie that he was proud himself that he managed to frame her for his crimes. Eventually, Amalie asked who he was working for. Hexclaw muttered,

"Myself. My powers of witchery come from the great powers of a lord of the undead, the Nightmare Tyrant. He promised us werewolves an eternal night, so we may hunt and prowl as we please, no longer shackled by the expectations of humanity. To share our gift to everyone.”

Then, Hexclaw used his magic to open the doors of the cages, and the people in them suddenly turned into werewolves. Hexclaw laughed to himself. "Apologies, it takes a long and painful process to make new lycanthropes like that. Now, my pack, destroy these intruders." The werewolves, and some of Hexclaw's pet wolves, prowled forward. At first, the adventures backed away again, but Hexclaw used his eldritch magic to pull the paladins toward him. Org knew what was going to happen; so he rushed into the fight.
Org was surrounded by the three werewolves while the rest of the party picked off the pet wolves. Amalie and Hexclaw used magical attacks against each other. Sunjar slew the last wolves thanks to the work of Thimbleswipe and Terra, and then jumped into the fray with Org to help him. Unfortunately, Org got bit by one of the werewolves and felt a cold shiver down his spine as it happened. Org was knocked out by the bite, and soon Sunjar was defending against the three instead. Terra relieved some of his effort through her arrow shots, killing one of the beasts. Still, Sunjar was knocked out by the claw attacks of the beasts.
Thimbleswipe came to the rescue, pouring a potion of healing down Sunjar's throat. When Sunjar awoke, he asked, "did you have me drink the big one?" but realized Thimble only had him drink the normal one. Still, Sunjar got up and drank a Potion of Heroism, allowing him to more vigilantly take out the werewolves. Org also got back up thanks to his relentless endurance and carved his waraxe into the shoulder of another werewolf, killing it. Lady Jeffery helped him, acting as a clear support for him and the group with her oinking.
Eventually, Org ran toward Hexclaw and tried to swipe him with the axe, but missed. Terra joined, and shot an arrow with Hunter's Mark at Hexclaw. Hexclaw quickly turned invisible and tried to escape from them. Sunjar, Thimbleswipe, and Amelie realized Hexclaw's plan (after killing the last werewolf) and retreated to stop him. However, Terra's Hunter's Mark allowed her to spot Hexclaw fleeing, and shot him with an arrow. Hexclaw, angered, dropped his invisibility and made a final bite attack out of revenge toward Terra, infecting her with lycanthropy as well. Hexclaw was slain, but his legacy now flowed through the blood of Org and Terra.
Evidently, Amelie realized the curse of lycanthropy was spread to Org and Terra, and with the final full moon of the night approaching. They knew what would happen, and thus Org and Terra, before the sun was lowered, were locked into the very cages in the room. The adventurers then plundered Hexclaw's treasure, finding spell scrolls and a Ring of Protection. The sun then set, and Org and Terra felt painful transformations come over themselves as they turned into werewolves. Terra was sedentary, but Org, in his wolf form, tried several times that night to escape his cell. Thimbleswipe in the night hit Org with a half-eaten apple to taunt him, but Org could not escape. However, on Amelie's watch Org did manage to escape, but Amelie used her cantrips and quick thinking to stop him and lock him in another cage.
The morning arose, and Org and Terra turned back to their old selves. They were let out of the cages, but realized they'd need to be cured from the curse, lest they prowl again at night turning into werewolves. The group, unfortunately, had no magic to remove it, and thus decided to find someone to help them. But first they returned to Dunkoff (with the body of Hexclaw) to erase Amelie of the accusations against her. There, they met Augustin Souris with Earl Luquin. Augustin helped the party prove to the earl that the dead Hexclaw was the perpetrator, and the Earl then rewarded the party.
Augustin then spoke with the party in secret. First, to Amelie. He told her he came in haste to Dunkoff after he heard what happened with her be accused. She then showed Augustin a necromantic spellscroll she found from Hexclaw, but Augustin told her it was a bit too advanced for her, but with enough practice she would soon learn. Terra then discussed her lycanthropy infection, and Augustin recommended the witch Ana Grom to help them, for she knows how to remove it.
Then, Augustin discussed with the whole party about the mission they were meant to be debriefed on in Manneruck. He gave them a travel card, and mentioned the grave news that the Prince of Larian, Philippe Percival, was kidnapped by Queen Ieasbreda's forces weeks prior. He stated that the king's spies had looked into the enemy territory, and believed that Philippe was being held by Lake Vine, where the Castle of Odo was. Augustin mentioned the Nightmare Tyrant, who Org brought up, and stated he was a powerful vampire who worked under Queen Ieasbreda, according to the King's spies.
The party was led to the instruction to go to Castle Odo in haste, for it was where the prince was being kept. So the party said their farewells to Augustin (in which Sunjar noticed, when shaking the Arch-Magistrate's hand, it was incredibly cold, but his divine sense showed nothing). Before the adventurers decided to leave the city they stopped by the blacksmith. Sunjar bought an adamantine breastplate, and Terra bought a modified piece of studded leather armor. Afterward the party departed.

Date (in world)

September 9th-10th, 4282

Report Date

27 Jun 2021

Primary Location

Dunkoff

Player Characters

Org Orgenson, righteous Half-Orc Paladin of the Ancients. He seeks equality between monster and men and is willing to crusade for his cause. Though he appears to be a dumb brute, he has a heart and soul of gold, and a great sense of right.

Terra, fair and kind Wood Elf Fey Wanderer Ranger. She seeks to find her long-lost love in the lands of Larian, a knight whom she once met but knows not the name and face to.

Thimbleswipe, mischievous Fairy Psi-Blade Rogue. Long ago chased out of the fey lands, he now seeks a new life of mischief within the lands of men. But look beyond his heart of guile and greed and one will find a hero fitting of the fey.

Sunjar, proud Dwarf Paladin of Devotion. He has come from the lands of Bolderun to uncover more about the mysterious Vivian and uncover more truth about dwarf religion.

Amelie Dumas, adventure-seeking human Necromancer. Amelie has humble origins, growing up in a family of cheesemakers. However, after her uncle took her in as an apprentice, she has secretly studied the dark arts and finds thrills in adventuring in her studies.

Allies

Lady Jeffery, a white pig with brown splotches. She is Org's pet, and sponsor of the party.

Archmagistrate by MrCrackerpants

Augustin Souris is the King of Larian's arch-magistrate, often working in the king's behalf in political matters because he is blind. He is also Amelie Dumas' secret master, teaching her the ways of necromancy, which is an illegal magical practice within the lands of Goth.