Expedition: Anforthas/Hunting the Wolfwere - 01 Oct 2021

[hedgeknight]

Casper White looks closely at the body, noting the torture wounds and overall appearance.
"Where was this poor wretch treated so badly, I wonder? There is no evidence that he met his demise here, but rather his already dead body was deposited here for a sign...or a warning, or something else."

Casper looks around the chasm, listening to his companions.
"What about the son of the chief? Are we to leave he and his family to the hunger of this were creature?"

[Stirling]

October 8th 2021

"yesterday we slew the elf-kin who attacked us from the granary we keep in the chasm." 

The party are reminded starkly of Cruyff's words concerning the drow elf, stabbed and staked at the top of the Chasm steps. Lug surveys the ground and determines the elf was dragged, alive or dead, from the steps area. The 'winter store' or nomad granary must be located in the Chasm nearby but there are no obvious cave mouths or ledges close by. The descending steps follow a route described previously, you can only guess at unseen ledges and niches beyond your view.

A decision is made to return to the rendezvous with Father Clauson and the three White Tower guards. It is a long ride, an hour back to the site of the nomad camp and two more around the NE end of the Chasm and towards the site of the knights slaying. Altogether you have covered 32+ miles on horseback since leaving the White Tower in the morning. Thankfully your return journey is not interrupted but you catch glimpses of white tailed roe bucks who flee into thickets as you approach and a troop of large baboons who heckle your passing.

A warming campfire and the smell of boiled stew is a welcome blessing. Father Clauson looks stern, as always but greets your arrival.

[Zhym]

"We didn't find the man-wolf," says Lug. "We did find some people who seem to have a thing about wolves, but they were different, I guess."

"Anyway, looks like just wandering out and looking for the man-wolf isn't a great plan, as it turns out."

Is that the conclusion of this expedition, since we're back at a settlement? Or are we planning to go right back out again? And does a return to the White Tower trigger and XP and treasure accounting? Not that we have any treasure I'm aware of.

[Stirling]

Father Clauson

"We rode as you commanded squire Anforthas.
Following the Chasm southwards. The great ravine tacks back and forth like a zig zag but ever south for a dozen miles. Before we reached the end though we were assaulted by a gang of dogrels. Kobold brigands that we surprised as we explored a henge of granite plinths. Jaime took a bolt in the shoulder and legs but by Baudhs mercies he heals well. An ogre unhorsed Gregor as our maces and swords cut among them. His pride injured more than his head. They made good their escape as we also yielded ground."

The priest shares regarding an encounter earlier in the afternoon. An unnumbered gang of motley humanoids, goblin sized with canine features. Apparently numbering an ogre among them. The 'howls' and bark calls of the dog-men deceiving the knights into thinking the 'Wolfwere' was close by.

A check on the guards show one bandaged around the forehead, sporting an egg sized bruise. Another resting on a bedroll, wounds plugged and prayed over. He waves an arm swearing he is 'good to go', though must have lost copious amounts of seeping blood. Davidas, the third, ties up your exhausted horses, hobbling them before seeing to your saddles. A meal of standard rations is presented to you as your own exploration is shared.

The evening draws in. The moon rising to shine faint reflections of light upon the granite tors of the ridge NW of you. Basic 'lean to's' have been erected to keep you as dry as possible under a shower of rain.

Decide on a night watch order if you remain in this camp and add a [1d6] roll to your posts please. Or advise on any other actions please.

Time: 8.00pm
Weather: Chilly, cold wind, light rain.
Status: Gregor minorly injured. Jaime minorly injured. Everyone else at full health. No spells or magic in effect.

[Zhym]

Sorry, but what's our decision point here? Just a watch order?

[Stirling]

Sorry Zhym, seem to have cross posted.

The White Tower is 16 miles NW of you, 12 miles beyond the Saddleback Tor where Ystan grazed his flock. You are at the site of the slaying of the knights by the Wolfwere, on a raised mound of stones, some hundred yards away from the Chasm edge and at the point where the Chasm turns Eastwards.

You group split to ride East (four miles to stone steps and crab spider encounter and a further two until the spot you first saw the nomads). It was approx four miles also from nomad camp to steps and drow body on south side. Hope that helps.

Your decision point is to decide to stay here and camp or move on. But you have covered approx than 36 miles today, riding on the plains. So factor that in.

[Zhym]

What’s the current time and weather? (The status line Marullus adds to each update post really helps with that.)

I assume we’ll be camping, though—we don’t have a destination we’re trying to reach before camping. As for a watch order, it can speed things up to see whether we get an encounter then randomly determine who is on watch. Assume we watch in pairs.

[Stirling]

Yes, I was just getting to edit my post by cross referencing miles per hour covered and encounter times. Info posted in edited update above.

[Karaunios]

Anforthas listens attentively to everything Father Clauson tells them, nodding and looking in turn at the kinghts, a faint smile at those injured, glad that they survived the travel. "Thanks for this expedition on your part. I feared something might have happened to you and was regretting having split our party. I try not to commit that mistake again. Thanks Baudh for keeping you save." Once he sits down to eat something and thanks them for the meal, he feels like he could use a rest. "I think it's better we stay here for the night. We'll discuss our options tomorrow morning. But if someone wants to go back to the White Tower, he's free to do it, as only some of us are bound to Lord Bremen and the Order."

Zhym if you want Lug to ride back to the tower and be done with it, that's fine with me. No point in forcing anyone to take part in a game he doesn't have time for! I hope our characters can manage to survive ewithout the bulky warrior. Will try our best!

[1d6] = 4

[Zhym]

I'm fine continuing on. Besides, even with Lug, the group is pretty small. I'm just having trouble following what's going on and what we're supposed to be doing.

[hedgeknight]

Casper White listens to the tales of daring by the other group and then checks on the wounded.
If he can heal any of the wounded further, he will do so; he has 3 CLW's prepared.

Casper finds a place for Ted and ties him up for the night with feed and water.
Returning to the fire, the priest of Gwanwen says, "So, is this it? Is this all we are going to do? I fear our adventure is not over. We have yet to find the creature who massacred the knights and who is terrorizing the countryside. Do we have any clues or leads to where it may be?"

[Zhym]

"Dunno how we're supposed to find it other than wandering around hoping it tries to attack us," grumbles Lug. "Guess I can look for tracks again, but they'd be really old by now."

"For something that's supposed to be terrorizing the countryside, it sure doesn't seem to be doing much terrorizing at the moment."

[Karaunios]

Anforthas stares at the fire while his companions talk about what step should they take next. "Yes. I would've expected that the wolf-tribe back there would've known something... Since they looked to have some... familiarity with wolfish beings. If we go down the chasm or back to where Father Clauson and the men went, we risk running into unnecessary trouble, and that'll put as at risk of being injured for an eventual fight against the foul creature we are seeking. Going back isn't an option either. At least not for me. I don't like the idea of leaving this creature around and not make justice after what its done to the knights. Doing nothing and staying here isn't an option either, of course... That's why I wanted to do some scouting first. To reduce the risk and hopefully centre our focus on an point, had we got any clue as to the whereabouts of the fiend... I reckon that, if we want this task fulfilled, we'll have to risk going down the chasm." He looks at his companions, wanting to see their reaction.

[Zhym]

Lug seems unconvinced. "I dunno," he says. "We got any reason to think the wolf is down there?"

"Here's what I think. Unless we got a lead, all we can do is patrol. So, fine, let's do that for as long as we got food. We patrol this area, where the wolf was last seen. Then we head back. And maybe we come out and patrol again. Or maybe we just beef up guards anywhere the wolf can mess with us. Cause I ain't all that keen on spending the whole winter out on wild wolf hunts."

Here's one more thing I'm confused about—how many hexes did we cover? Did we discover anything new in those hexes? Usually, just exploring is enough to uncover interesting things, but other than the nomad camp, we haven't really come across anything.

But I'm horrible at knowing where we are on the map. Can anyone tell me where we are on the big map?

[hedgeknight]

Here's one more thing I'm confused about—how many hexes did we cover? Did we discover anything new in those hexes? Usually, just exploring is enough to uncover interesting things, but other than the nomad camp, we haven't really come across anything.
But I'm horrible at knowing where we are on the map. Can anyone tell me where we are on the big map?

^^ This for me too.

Casper shakes his head and tosses a stick into the fire.
"I fear this thing will kill again and we'll be asked to return and do something about it."
He sighs heavily and rubs his eyes.
"My mind keeps going back to what Chief Cruyff said about his son...and the community down by the coast. I got the feeling he thought the beast would go there...or is there...in the form of his son..."
The priest lets that last thought hang in the air as he stares into the fire.

[Zhym]

Lug stares into the fire for a moment, thinking. Then he walks up and puts a hand right in the fire, waving it back and forth calmly. He walks through the fire a couple of times, completely unaffected. He still can't get over how cool it is that he can do that.

"Okay, then maybe we should go to that community, if that's what we're trying to protect, or if we think the man-wolf might be there. Beats the hell out of sitting around here. How far away is it, anyway?"

[Karaunios]

Anforthas is startle at Lug walking through the fire. "Uh... How did you do that?"

He looks him and Casper in the eye. "You're right. Somehow I forgot about that. That's the beast lead we have and it's a good starting point. So that's the first thing we'll do tomorrow at dawn, if you agree."

[Zhym]

Anforthas is startle at Lug walking through the fire. "Uh... How did you do that?"

Lug grins. "Magic!" he declares triumphantly. "I defeated a dragon, you know! Now I wear its skin for armor and fire cannot hurt me!"

"Or maybe it's just this badass cool sword I bought from the magic shop in Gaul," he admits. He holds out a massive blue-steeled two-handed sword with a flamberge blade. "And when I say it's cool, I mean it's ice cold. I can put out fires with it and everything! I hope this man-wolf we're after is a fire-breathing man-wolf, cause if it is, it's totally extra dead."

"I mean, assuming we can find the damn thing."

[Dram]

Baxtaw- tosses Lug his waterskin(Mead ). Aye brother that was a mighty battle we fought. We lost friends in that fight. Lets have a drink to them.

[Zhym]

"Oh, right—we defeated the dragon," adds Lug, slightly abashed. "And not without losses." He takes a drink and passes the mead-skin back.

"After all that, it's kind of weird that we haven't actually had a fight since then."