This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Zinmaer would see the outstretched hand with the blade, but he would not take it from her. "A man such as myself chooses to not use a sword. No worries! I have these!" He would put away the quarterstaff and raise his fist just before hurling a whirlwind of punches.
Attack 1: Attack: 18 Damage: 7
Attack 2: Attack: 11 Damage: 9
Bonus Action (using Flurry of Blows to take two unarmed strikes as a BA and spending another Ki Point)
The werewolf dodges Aryn's first attack as Zinmaer's fist slams into its jaw, dislocating it. Zinmaer's second blow catches the beast in the chest cracking ribs as Aryn's blade pierces into its abdomen. Zinmaer then catches the creature in the sternum causing internal damage and with a final blow to the temple the monster falls to the ground dead.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Impressive." Aryn says to Zinmaer. Aryn will then walk out of the house pissed and pullout a dagger in each hand one being a regular dagger and the other a silvered dagger. As she stomped past Mucor she would exclaim, "They were freaking werewolves. Moonshapers, we should've picked up on it." then continue towards the prisoners a determined look on her face. Holding out the regular dagger she would say "Give me your hand." to each of the prisoners. and make a small knick on the back of their hand to see if anymore turned out to be werewolves.
"Darin, do you know any of these people?" Aryn would ask then pull Mucor and Zinamer aside and say, "Mucor will you find the town leader again for the reward and see if they have any information regarding the Moonshapers? Zin and I will take them group back to the castle and you can catch up to us once you're finished. Zinmaer, let's get them prepared to head back to castle Daybreak. We'll have plenty of time to ask questions on the slow journey back."
Aryn would go retrieve the two werewolf corpses and toss them over two of the horses and strap them down. Turning to address the prisoners, "Alright, we're going to saddle up and return to castle Daybreak. Once there, my brother will heal your wounds. On the way we'll be asking some questions. It is in your best interest to answer honestly. If you try to escape we will kill you."
Aryn would then bind their hands and assist them up onto the horses, riding in pairs, with Zinmaer's help (if he is willing) and begin making the journey back to castle Daybreak.
"Sounds good. Let's ride." Zinmaer would assist Aryn with binding their hands and getting them onto the horses. He would mount his griffon as they began their ride back to Daybreak.
“Never seen any of them before.” Darin responds. Mucor agrees and commands the skeletons to help guard the bandits before he looks around for someone to ask where the town hall is while Aryn and Zinmaer prepare to depart. The caravan of prisoners makes its way back to castle Daybreak while Mucor finds a helpful lady who directs him to the town hall. Mucor retrieves the reward and finds out that the Moonshapers guild raids on their town have been a newly recent occurrence. The mayor is unsure of their origin but thanks Mucor and the Lightbringers for their help and promises to send word immediately if any bandits appear back in their town.
Aryn, Zinmaer and the skeletons begin their march toward castle Daybreak and make pretty headway before Mucor catches up on Ironwing. None of the bandits attempt to escape as you continue your journey, still afraid of these newcomers who killed two werewolves as if it were nothing. Aryn, Mucor and Zinamer make their triumphant return to the castle around at dusk and have Darin and the prisoners put into the prison cells within the dungeon of the castle.
(If you have any questions you want to ask during the travel feel free to post them.)
When we arrive at the castle Aryn will introduce the prisoners to Jinara and Gaelin and point to the two werewolf corpses. "It appears the war has caused other foul creatures to run rampant. Were it not for Zinmaer and Mucor it could've been a lot bloodier." She will then share the information learned during the journey back regarding their guild. "After we finish Inara's mission I say we put an end to these guilds before they grow even more. Also Gaelin, I stabbed each of them to ensure they weren't werewolves themselves so you'll need to heal their wounds." After all the debriefs and conversations Aryn will head to her quarters and fall fast asleep. Tired from the day's adventures.
(@Xtra This world is huge. How do you keep up with all of it?)
"Wow. That's a day's work for sure. How many of these things are there?" Jinara would wave over a few soldiers to follow with the group and help move the dead wearwolf corpses. "Mucor, would any of your bear friends, be able to tell us more about these things? Maybe decipher who they were before the curse took them?" Jinara would ask.
Gaelin will sigh at his sister and heal each of the bandit's wounds then turn to Jinara and say, "I'll also check with Theodore to see if he is familiar with the guild."
"There were only two werewolves there and these 5 bandits. I will speak with them and let you know if they have any information." Mucor responds and heads off to the grove and vault in search of the bears and Herbert.
Gaelin finds Theodore who informs Gaelin that he and his order, the Tribe of Ursa, have been at war with the Hybrid Hive for generations and that the Moonshapers guild is a small affiliate of the HH and is run by a wicked white-haired werewolf named Lucius. Mucor finds Herbert who explains a similar story of the two lycanthrope organizations that feud with one another. The Tribe of Ursa is an ally of the Elanaetas Druid order and have aided in many battles. Herbert also informs Mucor that there is a hierarchy within the Hybrid Hive by type of Lycanthrope. At the top sit the Tigers followed closely by the wolves. Well below those are the rat and boar lycans who are treated as little more than members.
All- The sun sets on another day as you each gather information before returning to your quarters in the night. You awake and make your way to the dining hall where you find Herbert. He greets you and says, "I have inspected the bodies of the two werewolves and can not find any trace of who they once were within them. Their curse has been in effect for so long it has removed any memory of their past.More importantly, this morning I went to examine the prisoners and have discovered two of them have been bitten and cursed. They have yet to turn for the first time so we still have a chance to cure them before the full moon. While I am familiar with spells to remove curses I have not included them in my preparations for the day. I fear that until we can remove this curse, these two should be quarantined in the dungeon. I have stationed additional guards armed with silvered weapons and tasked two of the blacksmiths with forging silvered cell bars for all our protection. They assure me the process can be accomplished in 2 days."
Herbert pauses for a moment and changes his stance slightly to less rigid as if informing you has released a burden from him. He smiles and says, "I've also heard from Inara. She sends her blessings and has tasked me to inform you that she will return tomorrow morning. She will transport you from here to a location near the orphanage, where she will return to the grove leaving you you to your task of clearing the orphanage and saving as many children as possible. She will have much more information tomorrow regarding the layout and creatures guarding the orphanage."
"Thank you Herbert. I agree with the quarantine and I can aid in the removal of the curse on these two if you'll accompany me to the dungeon after we meet. Also, let Inara know that we will be prepared." (I'm assuming Greater Restoration would work?) Gaelin will relate all the information gained from Theodore regarding the moonshapers the following morning in the dining hall.
Turning the subject back to the coming mission Gaelin would say, "I don't know if stealth will be of upmost importance on this mission. While it will serve a purpose in the beginning, from what I remember of Inara's vision (spoiler below) things get out of hand pretty quick and it's as if everyone in Eraas knows. It also seemed like they had more magic users than what we've faced so far, outside of seeing Daegon himself, so we need to be on the lookout for physical and magical traps as well." (trying not to meta too much so posting thoughts in game)
Once his group had finished discussing prelim strategy he would go down to the dungeon with Herbert, and anyone else who wanted to come, and cast Greater Restoration on the two cursed prisoners.
(Inara's vision)
The dim light expands into a large image showing the shapes of multiple druids walking through a forest as they approach a building. You watch as the druids fight their way past the cultist and zombie guards to enter the orphanage. Inside the fighting continues as evil hounds of hell and cultists battle against the force of the druids. As they clear each room you see some housing cultists and others scared children ranging from 5 to 16. As they approach a darkened stairway a druid is felled by a magical beam that slams into its chest. Two druids carry the injured comrade away while others press on. Below is an ogre, a few cultists and two mages who hurl spells and curses at the druids. As each enemy falls the grim sight of the basement becomes clearer. Children with ripped and bloody clothing huddle in the corner of cells. Bloody torture devices, tables and a stone altar show the brutality of the true nature of the orphanage. The symbol of Vaeril is tattooed on each of the fallen enemies and branded into some of the older children. The druids leave the building ensuring all the children are safely out before burning the structure to the ground.
"What!?!" Aryn exclaimed as Herbert informed them that there were two infected prisoners. "I hope you can cure them Gaelin, I really do, but if you can't they have to be put down before they hurt someone." she continued. Aryn would hush and listen intently as Herbert and Gaelin spoke of the coming mission and nod in agreement. "I'll do whatever is needed. It'll probably be close quarters once were inside so I will probably stow my bow and switch to swords. As much as I think we're better off together it may be beneficial to split into two groups once inside. If there are magic users, hallways and small rooms create easy kill zones for clusters of people. Until we get more information from Inara we should hold off on planning too much though without knowing what were going into."
Aryn will accompany Gaelin and Herbert to the dungeon to witness whether the curse is removed or not. Her hand will be on the hilt of each of her swords the entire time.
"It is sad to hear that a man's soul can be lost in a such a way and all that is left is violence. I'll accompany you to the dungeon and I hope that these men can be cured or what they know of their lives may be forever lost. If it comes to it I would agree that we would need to end this curse for these men the only way we know how for our own safety."
Zinmaer would say this with sadness in his voice and follow Hubert, Gaelin and Aryn.
(OoC: @Xtra. What level is Iris and what spells would she know?)
"Let me call for Iris. She may have text or history on lycanthropy that could aid us in this cure. At the least, she can facilitate the build efforts to reinforce the prisons with silver. She may have other components that will help subdue them if they do turn." Jinara would say. Jinara would cast Message and contact Iris relaying what is going on and asking her to come to him. He would then turn his voice to the orphanage topic "Aryn, that might be a good idea. Once we know more from Inara about the make up of the enemy, we can identify who should go where."
(OoC: @Xtra. Does my flying boots make any sound when i'm flying?)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
8 The spell goes out but you do not receive a prompt response from Iris. You assume she is out of range of the spell currently.
(Iris is level 10. I've added her character sheet to the campaign. She knows most 1st -5th level spells available to Wizards. Your boots would not make sound but a flying creature is much easier to spot than one on the ground. If you fly out in the open under 200 feet the DC to see you is 12 unless you are somehow hidden, invisible, trees, etc.)
Herbert nods in agreement and leads the group down to the dungeon where the bandits are being held. Darin is in his own cell while 3 others sit in another, and the 2 cursed bandits sit in a cell beside one another. One of the blacksmiths is in the process of replacing the last wall of an empty cell with newly silvered iron bars while guards stand at the ready outside the two men's cell. A second blacksmith returns and the two set the wall in place with the help of 3 guards before taking their leave. Herbert instructs the guards to move one of the cursed men to the newly silvered cell and then enters the original cell with Gaelin and one of the cursed men. He instructs the guards to lock the cell and give him the keys. He assures Aryn and Zinmaer who protest that it is purely for precaution.
Herbert instructs the bandit to lie on the cot while Herbert shackles the man's hands. He then nods to Gaelin who approaches the cursed man placing his hands on the head and chest of the bandit. A glow of white energy forms around Gaelin's hands and begins to spread over the bandit's body as Gaelin casts Greater Restoration. A flash of white and the man's body shutters as the jolt of holy energy courses through him. A bright white cloud of energy resembling a floating blanket appears directly above the man's prone body. Tendrils of viscus black energy begin to swirl out from various locations along the bandit's body as the curse is slowly removed. The body of the man begins to convulse and Herbert steps forward placing his hands on the man's legs. "Stay back" he says to those outside the cell who rush forward and try to enter the locked cell. The man's body continues to shake then goes limp as the last remnant of the curse is absorbed by the spell. Sweat forms on the man's brow and his eye's slowly open as he breathes deeply. "Good.... Drink." Herbert says calmly as he pulls a water skin and puts it up to the man's mouth.
Herbert unlocks the cell and exits with Gaelin. "He just needs rest. He'll be fine soon. Shall we continue?" he asks looking at Gaelin.
Zinmaer would see the outstretched hand with the blade, but he would not take it from her. "A man such as myself chooses to not use a sword. No worries! I have these!" He would put away the quarterstaff and raise his fist just before hurling a whirlwind of punches.
Attack 1: Attack: 18 Damage: 7
Attack 2: Attack: 11 Damage: 9
Bonus Action (using Flurry of Blows to take two unarmed strikes as a BA and spending another Ki Point)
Attack: 25 Damage: 9
Attack: 24 Damage: 7
The werewolf dodges Aryn's first attack as Zinmaer's fist slams into its jaw, dislocating it. Zinmaer's second blow catches the beast in the chest cracking ribs as Aryn's blade pierces into its abdomen. Zinmaer then catches the creature in the sternum causing internal damage and with a final blow to the temple the monster falls to the ground dead.
(End of combat)
(Phew!)
Zinmaer would look around and see if he could find anything of value in house. Investigation check 17
"Impressive." Aryn says to Zinmaer. Aryn will then walk out of the house pissed and pullout a dagger in each hand one being a regular dagger and the other a silvered dagger. As she stomped past Mucor she would exclaim, "They were freaking werewolves. Moonshapers, we should've picked up on it." then continue towards the prisoners a determined look on her face. Holding out the regular dagger she would say "Give me your hand." to each of the prisoners. and make a small knick on the back of their hand to see if anymore turned out to be werewolves.
Intimidation: 4 If adv for being surrounded: 18
Zinmaer- you are unable to find anything in the modest house other than shredded clothing from the werewolves.
Aryn- each of the prisoners hesitantly present their hands and each is cut by the regular dagger.
"Darin, do you know any of these people?" Aryn would ask then pull Mucor and Zinamer aside and say, "Mucor will you find the town leader again for the reward and see if they have any information regarding the Moonshapers? Zin and I will take them group back to the castle and you can catch up to us once you're finished. Zinmaer, let's get them prepared to head back to castle Daybreak. We'll have plenty of time to ask questions on the slow journey back."
Aryn would go retrieve the two werewolf corpses and toss them over two of the horses and strap them down. Turning to address the prisoners, "Alright, we're going to saddle up and return to castle Daybreak. Once there, my brother will heal your wounds. On the way we'll be asking some questions. It is in your best interest to answer honestly. If you try to escape we will kill you."
Aryn would then bind their hands and assist them up onto the horses, riding in pairs, with Zinmaer's help (if he is willing) and begin making the journey back to castle Daybreak.
(Ha, having me fix your dirty work.)
"Sounds good. Let's ride." Zinmaer would assist Aryn with binding their hands and getting them onto the horses. He would mount his griffon as they began their ride back to Daybreak.
“Never seen any of them before.” Darin responds. Mucor agrees and commands the skeletons to help guard the bandits before he looks around for someone to ask where the town hall is while Aryn and Zinmaer prepare to depart. The caravan of prisoners makes its way back to castle Daybreak while Mucor finds a helpful lady who directs him to the town hall. Mucor retrieves the reward and finds out that the Moonshapers guild raids on their town have been a newly recent occurrence. The mayor is unsure of their origin but thanks Mucor and the Lightbringers for their help and promises to send word immediately if any bandits appear back in their town.
Aryn, Zinmaer and the skeletons begin their march toward castle Daybreak and make pretty headway before Mucor catches up on Ironwing. None of the bandits attempt to escape as you continue your journey, still afraid of these newcomers who killed two werewolves as if it were nothing. Aryn, Mucor and Zinamer make their triumphant return to the castle around at dusk and have Darin and the prisoners put into the prison cells within the dungeon of the castle.
(If you have any questions you want to ask during the travel feel free to post them.)
Aryn will ask:
When we arrive at the castle Aryn will introduce the prisoners to Jinara and Gaelin and point to the two werewolf corpses. "It appears the war has caused other foul creatures to run rampant. Were it not for Zinmaer and Mucor it could've been a lot bloodier." She will then share the information learned during the journey back regarding their guild. "After we finish Inara's mission I say we put an end to these guilds before they grow even more. Also Gaelin, I stabbed each of them to ensure they weren't werewolves themselves so you'll need to heal their wounds." After all the debriefs and conversations Aryn will head to her quarters and fall fast asleep. Tired from the day's adventures.
(@Xtra This world is huge. How do you keep up with all of it?)
"Wow. That's a day's work for sure. How many of these things are there?" Jinara would wave over a few soldiers to follow with the group and help move the dead wearwolf corpses. "Mucor, would any of your bear friends, be able to tell us more about these things? Maybe decipher who they were before the curse took them?" Jinara would ask.
Gaelin will sigh at his sister and heal each of the bandit's wounds then turn to Jinara and say, "I'll also check with Theodore to see if he is familiar with the guild."
(very carefully... :) )
"There were only two werewolves there and these 5 bandits. I will speak with them and let you know if they have any information." Mucor responds and heads off to the grove and vault in search of the bears and Herbert.
Gaelin finds Theodore who informs Gaelin that he and his order, the Tribe of Ursa, have been at war with the Hybrid Hive for generations and that the Moonshapers guild is a small affiliate of the HH and is run by a wicked white-haired werewolf named Lucius. Mucor finds Herbert who explains a similar story of the two lycanthrope organizations that feud with one another. The Tribe of Ursa is an ally of the Elanaetas Druid order and have aided in many battles. Herbert also informs Mucor that there is a hierarchy within the Hybrid Hive by type of Lycanthrope. At the top sit the Tigers followed closely by the wolves. Well below those are the rat and boar lycans who are treated as little more than members.
All- The sun sets on another day as you each gather information before returning to your quarters in the night. You awake and make your way to the dining hall where you find Herbert. He greets you and says, "I have inspected the bodies of the two werewolves and can not find any trace of who they once were within them. Their curse has been in effect for so long it has removed any memory of their past. More importantly, this morning I went to examine the prisoners and have discovered two of them have been bitten and cursed. They have yet to turn for the first time so we still have a chance to cure them before the full moon. While I am familiar with spells to remove curses I have not included them in my preparations for the day. I fear that until we can remove this curse, these two should be quarantined in the dungeon. I have stationed additional guards armed with silvered weapons and tasked two of the blacksmiths with forging silvered cell bars for all our protection. They assure me the process can be accomplished in 2 days."
Herbert pauses for a moment and changes his stance slightly to less rigid as if informing you has released a burden from him. He smiles and says, "I've also heard from Inara. She sends her blessings and has tasked me to inform you that she will return tomorrow morning. She will transport you from here to a location near the orphanage, where she will return to the grove leaving you you to your task of clearing the orphanage and saving as many children as possible. She will have much more information tomorrow regarding the layout and creatures guarding the orphanage."
"Thank you Herbert. I agree with the quarantine and I can aid in the removal of the curse on these two if you'll accompany me to the dungeon after we meet. Also, let Inara know that we will be prepared." (I'm assuming Greater Restoration would work?) Gaelin will relate all the information gained from Theodore regarding the moonshapers the following morning in the dining hall.
Turning the subject back to the coming mission Gaelin would say, "I don't know if stealth will be of upmost importance on this mission. While it will serve a purpose in the beginning, from what I remember of Inara's vision (spoiler below) things get out of hand pretty quick and it's as if everyone in Eraas knows. It also seemed like they had more magic users than what we've faced so far, outside of seeing Daegon himself, so we need to be on the lookout for physical and magical traps as well." (trying not to meta too much so posting thoughts in game)
Once his group had finished discussing prelim strategy he would go down to the dungeon with Herbert, and anyone else who wanted to come, and cast Greater Restoration on the two cursed prisoners.
(Inara's vision)
The dim light expands into a large image showing the shapes of multiple druids walking through a forest as they approach a building. You watch as the druids fight their way past the cultist and zombie guards to enter the orphanage. Inside the fighting continues as evil hounds of hell and cultists battle against the force of the druids. As they clear each room you see some housing cultists and others scared children ranging from 5 to 16. As they approach a darkened stairway a druid is felled by a magical beam that slams into its chest. Two druids carry the injured comrade away while others press on. Below is an ogre, a few cultists and two mages who hurl spells and curses at the druids. As each enemy falls the grim sight of the basement becomes clearer. Children with ripped and bloody clothing huddle in the corner of cells. Bloody torture devices, tables and a stone altar show the brutality of the true nature of the orphanage. The symbol of Vaeril is tattooed on each of the fallen enemies and branded into some of the older children. The druids leave the building ensuring all the children are safely out before burning the structure to the ground.
"What!?!" Aryn exclaimed as Herbert informed them that there were two infected prisoners. "I hope you can cure them Gaelin, I really do, but if you can't they have to be put down before they hurt someone." she continued. Aryn would hush and listen intently as Herbert and Gaelin spoke of the coming mission and nod in agreement. "I'll do whatever is needed. It'll probably be close quarters once were inside so I will probably stow my bow and switch to swords. As much as I think we're better off together it may be beneficial to split into two groups once inside. If there are magic users, hallways and small rooms create easy kill zones for clusters of people. Until we get more information from Inara we should hold off on planning too much though without knowing what were going into."
Aryn will accompany Gaelin and Herbert to the dungeon to witness whether the curse is removed or not. Her hand will be on the hilt of each of her swords the entire time.
"It is sad to hear that a man's soul can be lost in a such a way and all that is left is violence. I'll accompany you to the dungeon and I hope that these men can be cured or what they know of their lives may be forever lost. If it comes to it I would agree that we would need to end this curse for these men the only way we know how for our own safety."
Zinmaer would say this with sadness in his voice and follow Hubert, Gaelin and Aryn.
(OoC: @Xtra. What level is Iris and what spells would she know?)
"Let me call for Iris. She may have text or history on lycanthropy that could aid us in this cure. At the least, she can facilitate the build efforts to reinforce the prisons with silver. She may have other components that will help subdue them if they do turn." Jinara would say. Jinara would cast Message and contact Iris relaying what is going on and asking her to come to him. He would then turn his voice to the orphanage topic "Aryn, that might be a good idea. Once we know more from Inara about the make up of the enemy, we can identify who should go where."
(OoC: @Xtra. Does my flying boots make any sound when i'm flying?)
8 The spell goes out but you do not receive a prompt response from Iris. You assume she is out of range of the spell currently.
(Iris is level 10. I've added her character sheet to the campaign. She knows most 1st -5th level spells available to Wizards. Your boots would not make sound but a flying creature is much easier to spot than one on the ground. If you fly out in the open under 200 feet the DC to see you is 12 unless you are somehow hidden, invisible, trees, etc.)
Herbert nods in agreement and leads the group down to the dungeon where the bandits are being held. Darin is in his own cell while 3 others sit in another, and the 2 cursed bandits sit in a cell beside one another. One of the blacksmiths is in the process of replacing the last wall of an empty cell with newly silvered iron bars while guards stand at the ready outside the two men's cell. A second blacksmith returns and the two set the wall in place with the help of 3 guards before taking their leave. Herbert instructs the guards to move one of the cursed men to the newly silvered cell and then enters the original cell with Gaelin and one of the cursed men. He instructs the guards to lock the cell and give him the keys. He assures Aryn and Zinmaer who protest that it is purely for precaution.
Herbert instructs the bandit to lie on the cot while Herbert shackles the man's hands. He then nods to Gaelin who approaches the cursed man placing his hands on the head and chest of the bandit. A glow of white energy forms around Gaelin's hands and begins to spread over the bandit's body as Gaelin casts Greater Restoration. A flash of white and the man's body shutters as the jolt of holy energy courses through him. A bright white cloud of energy resembling a floating blanket appears directly above the man's prone body. Tendrils of viscus black energy begin to swirl out from various locations along the bandit's body as the curse is slowly removed. The body of the man begins to convulse and Herbert steps forward placing his hands on the man's legs. "Stay back" he says to those outside the cell who rush forward and try to enter the locked cell. The man's body continues to shake then goes limp as the last remnant of the curse is absorbed by the spell. Sweat forms on the man's brow and his eye's slowly open as he breathes deeply. "Good.... Drink." Herbert says calmly as he pulls a water skin and puts it up to the man's mouth.
Herbert unlocks the cell and exits with Gaelin. "He just needs rest. He'll be fine soon. Shall we continue?" he asks looking at Gaelin.