Session 19: "Wolf Attack" (9/10 Flamerule, DR 1372)

Quick Summary

• Group saddle up and take all the horses

• Learn information on the enemy from Twelve

• After 12 miles, party set up camp for the night

• Wolf attack overnight during Artus’ watch

• Rania communes with nature

• Wolves defeated / forest burnt down

• Group leave camp, along a new road

• Find homestead, convince owners to stay for the night

Loose Ends

• Light seen in the mountains

• Rania’s wolf friend

• Jierdaan’s pursuit?

• Morn’s past

With the horse sentry subdued, the group mount up, leading the extra horses away with them hoping to delay any pursuit. Seeing that the sun is well-past midday, the group decide to try to put as much distance as possible between them and the mountains before setting up camp for the night.

Kellan lays a stabilizing hand on Twelve’s shoulder, noting how the boy clearly has never ridden before, while Kelnor hangs back, keeping rearguard.

After a few minutes, Twelve gains some confidence and can control his horse more easily. He moves up to everyone in turn to study them closely. The close scrutiny unnerves everyone, so to break the tension Twelve is asked of his past and how he came to be at the fortress after leaving the Turnfork. Twelve relays how he travelled through the wilderness with 3 other Doppelgangers, along with Jierdaan and Marin the Black. He informs the group that Jierdaan and Marin had a magic room that he slept in while the others slept on the forest floor.

Leading the way, Artus notes the heavy rain clouds on the horizon with a grimace, listening still as Twelve continued his tale.

“My brothers and I were sent into Daggerfalls to find the Witch, but her house was empty. Jierdaan was so angry when we told him, he knocked my brother down”. Twelve’s voice trailed off at this, the boy clearly terrified of his master. After a moment he continued, “Later I heard him shouting with Marin about the missing wand; this seemed very important to him.”

Hearing this, Rio glanced at Rania noting that her usual stoic appearance was now sporting a rare half-smile.

The group rides on throughout the late afternoon talking between themselves on what they will tell Lord Morn. Kelnor takes the calm to learn some more about magic from Kellan. By now the sun is starting to set, so the group leaves the road to find a safe place to set up camp for the night. Kellan and Twelve secure the Morn horses on one side of camp, while Gaerfinas and Artus separate the larger, more aggressive Zhent horses on the other. Rania sets about gathering wood for a fire while Rio lays two bear traps to the South. Kelnor does a final sweep of the perimeter before everyone settles down around the fire for a meal.

While heading to set the fire, Rania’s eyes catch a glimpse of a red glow raising slowly up from the mountains in the West. She points and asks Kellan what he thinks

“it’s nothing I have seen before” he grunts. Not impressed, Rania looks back to see the light fading into nothing, then focusses on lighting the fire. Twelve is watching the sparks from the flint with a hungry interest…

Kelnor unfolds the portable hole, pulling out the corpse of the Umberhulk. With a surprising level of skill, he butchers and strips the armour plates off the beast. The meat clearly not fit for eating now, is left to one side. The group also inspect the weapons taken from the fallen enemies, Rania deciding to take the shortsword for the first watch. Gaerfinas and Artus perform their prayers to Helm quietly to one side.

The first two watches pass without incident other than the clouds closing in above, dropping the temperature noticeably. Shivering, Gaerfinas ends his watch, nudging Artus to begin his. Rising reluctantly Artus gears up and moves towards the fire. Twelve does not seem to need sleep and is staring wide-eyed into the small flames. Suddenly, Twelve reaches to his side and throws something into the fire. In the dim light, it takes a moment before Artus realizes it was Rania’s quiver, full of arrows!

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” booms Artus at Twelve.

“Iii…it was going out” stuttered the boy.

Artus rushed to the fire pushing Twelve aside but it was clear the arrows were beyond saving “FOOL, what made you….”

Before he could finish his sentence, a piercing scream echoes around the camp from one of the Zhent horses. Turing and drawing his Greatsword, Artus runs over towards the scream, seeing the shape of a large wolf dragging down the horse.

The horse scream awakes everyone in the camp, with all rushing to get their gear to face the unknown threat. Rania being closest tires to use her Elven powers to speak with the beast to reason with it. The wolf is momentarily confused, pausing its attack. This gives Rio an opening to shoot a bolt into its flank. A fierce fight begins:

• Kellan moves over to the fire readying himself

• Kelnor asked Rania what she was doing as he rushes to lead some of the horses away from the wolf

• Artus smashes his greatsword into the wolf’s ribs

• Gaerfinas summons sacred flame, doing minor damage

• Twelve joins Kellan at the fire

• 3 more wolves appear to the south, one much larger than the others

• Rania again tries to reason with the wolves which ends badly, all the wolves turn their focus on her

• Rania backs off into the woods, another wolf appears behind her

• Rio shoots another bolt at the first wolf, killing it, then re-groups at the fire

• Kellan casts a sleep spell on one of the smaller southern wolves

• The other small wolf from the south dashes up through the camp heading towards Rania

• Heading close to the horse Kelnor is leading, the horse rears up and stamps on the wolf, knocking it away

• The large wolf also rushes towards Rania but is snared by Rio’s trap

• Kelnor uses Booming Blade on the stunned wolf by the horse he was leading, killing it

• The huge size of the wolf in the trap close to him startles Gaerfinas, who unleashes the Fire wand, causing a huge explosion, crippling the wolf and setting the nearby trees alight

• Twelve is enthralled by the flames

• Wolf behind Rania is scared off by the explosion

The two remaining wolves are both incapacitated. Rania again talks to the wolf, trying to soothe it, and remarkably then heals it, to the surprise of the whole group. Confused as to her actions, Gaerfinas (minus eyebrows) then muzzles the sleeping wolf. The trapped wolf is cowering below Rania, but seems somewhat calmed. Gaerfinas looking on at Rania does not immediately notice as the wolf by him awakes and slips off the muzzle. Turing too late Gaerfinas sees the wolf fleeing into the woods.

Rio moves quickly to retrieve the other trap. Kelnor calling for everyone to mount up quickly “We cant stay here!”. Gaerfinas rushes by Rania as she unties the final wolf which dashes to the edge of camp then looking back, head cocked to one side before vanishing into the darkness.

Everyone now mounted, the group move back out on to the road, lucky to only have lost a single horse. The rain now coming down heavily they rush on, desperate to find somewhere to shelter. After about half an hour they spot a homestead set back form the road, lights barely visible within. Rania and Twelve head up alone first to try to look non-threatening. As they draw closer they see the farmhouse with a large porch as well as a Barn to the East.

Rania moves up to the door, but before she can knock Twelve tells her there are 3 people inside. Confused, Rania knocks then tries to convince the man inside that she is a mother with her son seeking shelter. Suspicious of this, the man questions further, unable to maintain the ruse, Rania comes clean informing the man of the group waiting at the edge of the farm. Calling everyone up, the man visibly shrinks back at the sight of the heavily armed group. Rania placates the man by offering him a horse in payment for a night of shelter.

Although probably not fully comfortable, the man invites the group in for some stew. The hope of a new horse and peace seeming a much better option than trying to turn them away.

• Artus (200)

• Gaerfinas (200+50) Session log

• Kelnor (200)

• Rania (200+50) Wolf Friend

• Rio (200+25) Bear trap