09.04.22
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...
September 4th, 2022
When we last joined our adventurers, they had taken a quest to non-lethally stop the predation of the city's livestock and resources during the full moon by were-creatures. The adventurers also worked to rescue children who seemed cursed by the city with high red scores of their hands that could not be corrected. Having just made it out of the city, and each being assessed 3 points to liberate two children, they head to the farms in the north.
Billie's nose picks up the smell of were-creatures, he seems a little fuzzier than normal, and is sporting a five o'clock shadow. Growing concerned that he will turn tonight, he speaks with the party out of concern. The party is not concerned, they know who Billie is and accept him for who and what he is. If he does turn and lose control, they will restrain him, or he will run away.
Shortly after, Billie doubles over in pain. Writhing in pain he starts to sprout fur and grow in size. A bear snout pokes out, he rises up on all fours, in the half-transformed state. He still has thumbs and human like expression, but cannot talk. He seems in control of his senses and his armor appears to have melded into him.
Dripp, for some reason, goes to tug on his tiny tail and nearly gets a bear paw to the face. Demna tries to hop up and pet Billie, while Lillian hugs him. Keras works out a system for Billie to answer questions.
Paws Up = Yes
Paws Down = No
Lillian requests to ride "bear back" if things get out of hand. Billie consents, as the party approaches some of the first farms.
In the distance the party can hear the farmers yelling at wererats to get away from their crops. Billie smells a werewolf in the distance and rushes off towards the pig pen. Keras and Demna fall into an old routine, and both cast Sleep on the wererats and bind them up tightly.
After securing those two rats, the sound of a wooden fence shattering near the pig pen sounds out. Lillian follows after Billie towards the sound and the location of the werewolf. Meanwhile Keras and Dripp go after two more wererats in the pumpkin patch. Keras casts Sleep again knocking another rat out. Dripp attempts to punch the remaining wererat into unconsciousness. Dripp manages only a glancing blow.
Billie, up by the pig pen, attempts to grapple the werewolf but neither can get the advantage. Billie attempts to intimidate the werewolf, but it is unphased as its hunger is overpowering. Seeing no non-violent solution Billie lashes out with his staff, doing some serious damage with two very strong strikes. In its battered state, Lillian approaches, and throws it a piece of the sleep potion enhanced meat.
In the distance, more werewolves approach. Demna rushes towards them, she uses a piece of the sleep potion enhanced meat to knock one out and uses a Sleep spell to get another, the last two continue their approach. Billie intercepts one of the incoming werewolves and batters it with his quarterstaff. Lillian follows Billie and she casts Hold Person on the werewolf locking it in place.
Meanwhile in the pumpkin patch, two more wererats go after the pumpkin patch. Keras approaches them and casts Sleep on another and knocks it out. Two wererats remain, one in the pumpkin cart, and one still neck deep in a pumpkin next to Dripp.
Demna manages to cast Sleep the last remaining werewolf knocking it out, she turns to the nearby wererat and ineffectually hits it. The rat rises and attempts to strike her, Demna dodges the strike. It reaches down and grabs a short sword and tries again to strike Demna. Demna uses a Shield charge in her staff. The last remaining rat bites Dripp, but its curse fails to take hold as Dripp's blood is more alcohol than hemoglobin.
In retaliation, Dripp summons his dragon Draco how latches onto the rat, flies it into the air and drops it to the ground injuring it. Keras covertly uses a Sleep spell to knock it out. Demna knocks out the last wererat with another Sleep spell. With all of the creatures knocked out, they finish restraining all the were-creatures. They load all of the creatures into the cart and put them under a net. The farmers gladly let them borrow the cart.
After securing all of the creatures, the party goes to head out. As they head south, they hear guttural squealing in the distance. Approaching them, they see four wereboars rushing towards them. Billie, still in his werebear form, rushes to meet them. Lillian seeks to stop their approach and casts Hallucinatory Terrain, causing a deep chasm to appear before the wereboars and hopefully stop their approach. Lillian heads to meet the wereboars and she casts multiple Tasha's Mind Whips on the wereboars, the damage they take is minimal though. Dripp gets on Draco and flies to meet the wereboars. Keras casts Unsettling Words and Dissonant Whispers on one of the wereboars and while it does minor damage, the mental effects take hold, and it runs as far away as it can.
The remaining wereboars are frightened, having seen the ground open on a command and one of their number already flee. All but the one closest to Billie flees. Billie uses Hunter's Mark on the wereboar and then attacks with his quarterstaff. After several brutal strikes, the wereboar is near death. Lillian casts Hold Person and binds the wereboar.
Bewildered, the party tests Lillian's illusion and realizes it's safe to walk over. He shouts out the fake nature of the chasm, which seems to improve the mood of the outlooks of the farmers who just thought they saw their crops fall into the earth.
With no further sounds or creatures approaching Keras speaks to the farmers and arranges for them to take the two orphan children on. He explains that the werewolves had murdered their parents and that they needed a place to stay. The farmer agrees to take them on and explains he always wanted a bigger family. Seeing Billie in werebear form the family rush in their home.
Toughy and Billie in werebear form, pull the cart to the entrance. The guards stop them and explain that they were-creatures (including Billie) cannot enter the city in their transformed state. The party sets up a small camp 100ft outside the gate and waits for the creatures to change back into people. The werelion, Willheim, meets them at the door and the party explains that they succeeded. He explains that he is working on a plan to store the were-creatures at the beach caverns. Keras persuades the eleven captured were-creatures to go to the beach. The party returns to the adventurer's guild and gets a full day's rest.