If you go into the woods today...
While resting in Judge Daramid’s home in Lepidstadt, the judge elaborated on the Whispering Way and the path the group would also need to take to follow them. They were briefly interrupted by the entrance of a human woman. Her appearance gave away her Xian noble background, particularly her fine, bright green attire. As the judge tried to introduce her, Grimrod gave her a rough first impression. Introducing herself as Lady Meang, the judge went on to explain how the noblewoman would be of use to the group and how the group may be of use to the noblewoman.
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Agreements made, the judge made clear the group’s need for an invitation to the Ascanor Lodge, where they would at least be able to find where the Whispering Way had gone, if not the group themselves. Zhen took hold of the invitation, and the group agreed to go out at first light the next morning, and use the rest of the day to restock equipment and enjoy the coins of their labour.
Keeping an eye on Grimrod, all made their way into one of the bars. Unfortunately, the local people recognized them as those who had helped the Beast of Lepidstadt. While clearly too power to confront directly they shunned the party, who after restraining Grimrod from any violent acts elected to call it an evening.
Waking early the next morning, they bid farewell to both Judge Daramid and Kendra, who chose not to go into the Shudderwood, and the part set off with there new ally. The first several were calm enough, the party stopping at local inns to rest each evening, but as they went deeper and deeper into the Woods there became less and less signs of humans.
Several days in, the party heard cries for help coming from off the path. Remembering a previous ambush attempt that started in the same way on the journey to Lepidstadt the party advanced slowly and with caution, and quickly discovered the source of the calls - Ettercaps.
Sticking to the tree tops, the four creatures were trying to lure the party along. Grimrod took several steps - and spotted the pit trap they were luring him into. Less than impressed the party attacked, but Grimrod was quickly pinned to the ground with a net.
Kosali decided to make life more difficult for them. Using her Hex to fly and a Lightning Bolt spell to blast three of the creatures from the trees proved too much for them to cope with, and the fourth fled back into the woods.
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Freeing Grimrod, they decided to let the creature flee and continued on there way. It wasn't long, however, before they ran across a tower from which a haunting melody floated out of. Grimrod and Zaira were entranced and despite the rest of the party warning them of the danger headed in.
Inside the music stopped. Grimrod and Zaira looked around in bafflement, wondering how they had got them. From a hole to one side a huge creature errupted, a hideous mix of a person and a worm.
Choosing Grimrod as it's pray it covered him in webs and striking him with poisoned claws before attempting to drag him into it's lair. Seeing his old friend in such dangers drove Zhen on and the large half-breed sent several devastating attacks into the creature's flesh with his greatsword, causing massive damage. The creature dropped Grimrod but Zhen pummeled it relentlessly, and soon it lay twitching on the ground.
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Pulling the poisoned claw from Grimrod and using one of Kosali's Hexes to heal him they searched the area, finding a good quantity of gold and the remain's of one of the creatures victims, along with an invite to the Lodge and him ring.
The party continued relatively quietly for another day until they found a dead corpse tied to a tree. A trap was spotted and deliberately triggered the device, sending a huge number of crossbow bolts where they would have been standing. It soon became apparent that the trap was for a werewolve - the dagger in the man's breast was silver, wolvesbane was in his mouth and the crossbow bolts had been treated with silversheen.
Finally they reached the end of the path, at a large, comfortable looking building. Greeted at the gate it soon became evident they were not going to be let in, despite the letter of reference from Judge Daramid. Irritated, Zhen pointed out they'd already done them a favour by removing the Weaverworm from the path up, showing them the blooded invitation taken from the body as proof the problem had been solved, but the gate keeper decided instead that it meant they had killed the guest in question.
Before the confrontation could become ugly, a large group led by a boisterous noble barreled out. Introducing himself as Duristan, he was delighted to find real adventurers outside and, in the hopes of gaining there help on his werewolf hunts, promised to help them gain entry to the Lodge. As it was there only clue to the Whispering Way, they agreed, although grudgingly in Zhen's case. He had guessed where the crossbow bolts had come from earlier, that it was Duristan who had set the trap, and was unimpressed by the lack of care he gave for any innocents who stumbled on it.
They quickly stumble upon some direboars feasting on a dear. Kosali used her abilities to convince the boars they don't want to be eaten next, and the creatures run off much to the confusion of Duristan. Still, the dear carcass reveals that something other than the boars killed the creature, and he decides it must have been werewolves, enthusiastically driving them forwards.
After some time they set up camp, with Duristan's men putting out bait and traps while the party and the noble talked. He regalled them with tales of the three werewolves he had killed (confirming Zhen's suspicion) while the party, especially Grimrod, regaled them of the tales of the things they had faced. Grimrod even told the tale of a Artificer he had once met in the city of Korvosa, a man even drunker than him, and the fact that a shark had jumped onto a dock to try and kill him.
After a meal cooked by Zhen they were about to retire when screams rang out. Moving quickly they found two of Duristan's porters dead - and a pair of especially savage looking werewolves standing over there corpses.
In harsh, snarled voices they demanded to know what the party was doing there. since it didn't seem prudent to mention they were meant to be hunting Werewolves they elected to say they were hunting, which the wolves obviously didn't believe.
It wasn't very clear what they did think was happening, however, as the party were told in no uncertain terms that they should not be messing in wolf affairs with Mathus Mordinacht, and that the other tribes on the Shudderwood would oppose the traitor. Why, the party had no idea, but it was clear the werewolves weren't interested in fighting them.
The party agreed to return to the lodge and, collecting the bodies of the porters who died, were happy to do so.
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Ascanor Lodge
Returning to the lodge, they were met by the porter, who was apologetic for refusing them entry earlier and offerd to show them to the Lodge's warden, Estovian. The party happily complied and met with the Warden, who recognized they were there on the business of the Palantine Eye. He apologized again and offered to help, but the party were not entirely trusting of him and simply asked to be given the run of the Lodge's impressive and famous library. He agreed, and showed the party to there rooms.
Before the party could retire for what was left of the evening, Duristan arrived with a young lady and offered the party scars wards. They were apparently to protect against kycanthropy, but the party turned her down. Zhen was especially emphatic, and
Kosali quickly assured the others that the lady was no witch...or lady.
The next day, the party head down for lunch and meet several of the other guests. During the meal they chatted with various people, but were subtly invited to talk to one in particular guest, a distuinguised looking gentleman named Cilas Graydon. He explained that a friend of his had gone missing and that the invitation they'd found belonged to him. Moving to the trophy room and explained his friend was dead at the hands of the Weaver Worm, and returned his personal affects. Cilas thanked them and started planning to retrieve the body, now that the area was safe, and Grimrod decided to go with him. The Trophy Room had given him ideas...
While they left, Amarisa, Zaira and Kosali went to the library. They quickly found a journal detailing a trip to Stairs of the Moon and some details of the temple, and a refernece to another cook. They asked Estovian if they could see that book, explaining they'd found the note, but he quickly claimed the book was missing and left.
Returning with Cilas and the head of Weaver Worm, Grimrod decided to go to the brothel. Accompanied by Zhen and Amarisa, Zhen turned back at the door (after the somewhat terrified reaction of the lady at the door) and Amarisa and Grimlock got a Harrow reading. Amarisa also bid forewell at that point, leaving Grimrod to his...entertaininment.
The next morning, the party continued to try and research the Stairs of the Moon, but were unable to get far without the missing book, the Halo of Dreams
Suspicious of Estovan's actions already the party waited until he was attending to buisness, and then Amarisa broke into Estovan study, finding the missing Halo of Dreams and Estovan's journal. The door guarded by Zhen, she quickly transfered the useful bits to her own notes and put the books back as carefully as possible.
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With the new information they visited Madam Ivanja, who when questioned replies that, yes, she recalls the visit and points them towards the employee who had seen all of them...and Grimrod, the previous night. The woman, high on a drug, tells the party that three men came to her and asked her to dance for them, until a fourth arrived and they asked her to leave them to some privacy. She specifically recalled one having a hideous looking pet.
Paying her extra for her help, she suddenly recalled an additional detail - that although they claimed to be Nobles from Courtaud, they had Southern accents and a strange amulet, a gagged skull. As she left they'd also mentioned the Stairs of the Moon and the Packlord's Heart, whatever they were.
With the information they now had, the party decided there was no point in remaining at the lodge until Estovan's paranoia and guilt caused him to do something foolish. They decided to leave in the morning and head for the Stairs of the Moon, the location among the information in the procured journal notes.
The Stairs of the Moon
As they left, the party were not at all surprised to run once again into Duristan and his newest set of hirelings. The noble was determined to join them, having overheard they were heading to the Stairs of the Moon, rife with Werewolves. With no way of stopping him, the party let him join. Within hours of travel, however, he'd split away and vanished into the thick woodlands. No one had any idea where he'd gone, although Grimrod was concernered.
As the the travels continued and the approached the Stairs, they were ambushed by a pair of Werewolves intent on defeating them. As the party engaged the two at the front a third attacked from behind, savaging Kosali and possibly infecting her with lycanthropy.
Even three of the shapeshifters couldn't pervail, but they took there toll on the party. Kosali decided to forgoe using her spells to cure the infection until after they'd dealt with all the known werewolves. They took what they could from the defeated wolves and continued onwards.
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Loot from the Stalkers
3 x Masterwork Daggers 3 x Masterwork Greatswords 3x Bracers of Armour +2 |
As they approached the Stairs they encountered a problem - a large patch of open ground and several Werewolves with long range weapons. Unable to approach without being peppered with arrows, the party used magic to communicate with the Werewolves, explaining they knew who had betrayed the Packlord and had an idea where the Heart was.
At first, it didn't seem to matter. After a while though, a second set of Werewolves, obviously a different tribe to the first came out of the structure and granted them safe passage to the top of the building - so long as they were truthful about there intention and goals.
It soon became apparent that two different packs were present in the Stairs, each eyeing each other warily but not currently in open conflict. The party was escorted to the top of the tower and brought before the two pack leaders, Mathus Mordinacht and Cybrisa Dorzhanev.
The werewolf pair demanded to know why they were there. They explained that they were hunting the Whispering Way - those who had stolen the Packlord's Heart - and in doing so had also uncovered who had betrayed the Packlord Kvalca sain to the Whispering Way. mathus immediately grew restless, confirming the journal for the PC's. But to convince Cybrisa would be more difficult...she wasn't likely to take some strangers over another werewolf pack leader, even if they weren't exactly the best of friends. A quick discusion gave them a plan.
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As Grimrod turned and pointed at Mathus Mordinacht with a bellow of, 'HE betrayed you all!' Kosali cast Zone of Truth across the Highthrone. The lie died on Mathus' lips before he could force it out in a strangled cry. It did not unnoticed by Cybrisa, who flew at the other pack leader in a rage.
With so many werewolves fighting it out the party fell back, narrowly avoiding any serious injuries, and waited until the worst of the fighting had died down. Then they returned to Highthrone to confront the victor.
Standing atop the shattered corpse of Mathus, Cybrisa consumed the other wolf's heart in a single vicious bite before spotting the approaching party. In no condition to battle them, she called for peace and offers them what they want - news on the Whispering Way.
Although not entirely clear on the why, she knows the Whispering Way escaped towards the East - followed by both the Demon Wolves and Prince's Wolves packs as they hunted the bands. She informs them that the Demon Wolves left the forest a day or so ago, and assume the Whispering Way have too - and suggests the party follows suit.
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With no real need to fight the party leave the Stairs of the Moon and start to travel to the East.
Feldgrau
It was not long after leaving the Stairs that they found the remains of Duristan's hunting party. Of Duristan himself, however, there was no sign...
After a day or so of travel the party was approached by a band of what appeared to be Varisian travellers. They quickly explained they were not. They were the Prince's Wolves, a werewolf pack that had been created with the express purpose of hunting and destroying the Whispering Way. And they had an offer for the party.
Rhakis Szardo, the leader of the Prince's Wolves, wanted to recruit the party to help him eliminate the Whispering Way, as they'd proven to be a huge thorn in the Way's side. In exchange he could tell them exactly where they'd gone and offer them the aid of the Prince's Wolves sent ahead.
Suspicious, Grimrod demanded to know if they were the ones who'd attacked Duristan. Rhakis told them no, and suspected it had been the Demon Wolves given the savagery at the attack site, which the Prince's Wolves had also found.
After a few minutes of debate the party agreed to help, and were given a token that would tell the Prince's Wolves ahead they were friends. Rhakis then informed them that the most likely place for the Whipsering Way was the town of Feldgrau.
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Freshly armed with the knowledge that the Whispering Way was mere days away, the party quickly marched to town only stopping when they needed to rest or eat. As they approached the obviously long abandoned town they did notice something strange, however. A tree with a number of corpses hanging from it's branches. Zhen and Amarisa saw them as Werewolves, whereas Grimlock and Zaira saw them as skeletal humans.
As they approached, the 'werewolves' vanished and the tree lashed out, attempting to grapple Zhen. The Orc was too powerful to be grabbed and quickly assumed his even larger form to strike back.
Amarisa decided to test her new Fireball spell on the hideous plant, almost catching Zhen and Grimrod in the fiery backlash but almost causing massive damage...until the tree managed to bend out of the spell's way.
It's attempts to grapple Zhen failing, the tree instead grabbed Grimrod. By then, however, it was two late. The sustained attacks caused the Hangman's Tree to suddenly wilt and droop, apparently dead. Grimrod wasn't interested in taking chances, and cut it down with his axe in short order.
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Healing from the wounds incurred during the battle, the party continued towards Feldgrau even more cautiously than before. Approaching what appeared to be the town blacksmith's the party were greeted by a familiar face