09.25.22
Bear Noises
September 25th, 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. After a successful first night, they headed to the adventure society for a full of day of rest. They wake up in the evening and head to the market.
Belinda the apothecary is ready for the adventurers giving the promised 5 additional doses of the sleeping drought. They are neatly packaged individually in a small box. While inconvenient, Belinda seems quite pleased with herself. The party then heads to Rocash's Animal Emporium where the shop keeper is engaged in an argument with a dwarven trader. Rocash is upset that his caravan with the nets that the party was expecting on it has been lost. After some discussion, the party agrees to keep an eye out for the lost shipment.
The party then heads to the meat market, which has been hastily rebranded as "Morty's Magical Meat Monger." The party notes the changed name, and Morty explains that he's open to investment from the party. He explains along the top Morty explains that trying to help adventurers. Keras pays with 5 points
The party grab Toughie at the stables, then walks him over near the area where the orphans are located. He is unfortunately too large to go in the neighborhood. The party approaches on foot and coaxes two of the four remaining orphans out. They explain what is needed of them, then Billie uses Misty Step to jump the kids over to Toughie where the kids are stowed in the saddle bags.
The party crests the hill outside the city, the guards direct them to the northwest. They see the moon rising it has an ominous red hue. This is a blood moon; the party is unsure what that means. Lillian thinks back into her mystical knowledge, and she remembers faintly that blood moons seem to unlock additional strength and ferocity in some were-creatures.
As they approach their destination, Keras helps the orphans out of the saddlebags and lets them mount Toughie. The children are immediately smitten with the "big puppy." Keras directs Toughie to keep the kids safe.
A loud howling in the distance rings out. Something seems wrong. The party approached
The farm is in bad shape, the human farmers have fled. The party goes into stealth, with Lillian casting Pass Without A Trace on the party. Billie naturally camouflaged as a were creature himself goes into the middle of the were-creatures, approaching two wereboars and one wererat. Once his party is in position Billie's craving for justice becomes overwhelming and he casts Hunter's Mark on one of the wereboars, he viciously attacks it repeatedly with his quarterstaff. The boar is deterred and goes to a corner to lick its wounds.
Lillian casts hold person on the wereboar closest to her, but it fails to take hold. Demna attempts to sleep the same wereboar and just barely manages to knock it out. Dripp attempts to use his sleep arrows on one of the werewolves in the open area. Both miss, one dramatically so which almost strikes Keras. Keras casts sleep on one of the wererats, instantly knocking it out.
Billie, still going unnoticed as an enemy moves his attention to the other wereboar. Intimidating it with bear noises, he attacks it viciously with his quarterstaff leaving it bloodied in a corner. It cowers in the corner. Billie then suffers a mental lapse, the combat twisting his toughs and driving him to associate with the were-creatures more than his people allies.
Lillian enters the farmhouse from the fallen wall. Lillian casts Hold Person on a both werewolves. It successfully takes hold on the closest one to her. the unaffected werewolf bolts towards Lillian.
Demna targets the injured still conscious wereboar with a Sleep spell, but it fails to take hold. Frustrated, Demna lashes out with a Tasha's Mind Whip at the conscious werewolf nearby, but it doesn't appear to have done significant damage.
Keras targets the last conscious were-creature with a Sleep spell, but the spell fails spectacularly. In his confusion, Billie dashes in and picks up the werewolf trying to save his ally. It fights significantly and Billie finally clears his mind. Dropping and smacking the werewolf as it runs away.
The party rushes in, and starts tying up sleeping and incapacitated enemies. They are interrupted by a load series of howls. around them, a blood red werewolf campion flanked by two white werewolves. Surrounding them, a dozen or more werewolves and wereboars.
Surrounded and outnumbered, the party prepares for battle.