Monday, April 15, 2019

Menace in the Zarek Valley - Dwarves and Werewolves (part 2)

The adventurers rest and try to think of a cure for lycanthropy. Those versed in medicine, religion and arcana come up with either casting the spell "Remove Curse" (which is of too high a level for them at this point) or eating a plant called Beladona. Just in time, as Lili already feels a craving for fresh meat.
Without any immediate solution at hand, the adventurers remove the corpses and burn them[1], then proceed deeper into the caves. They reach a large chamber - formerly, the mess hall of the keep - where they encounter more dwarven lycanthropes. They adventurers defeat them, and even manage to capture and torture one, although the notes do not say to what end.




The rangers try an outflanking maneuver, but they end up in hand-to-hand combat with a werewolf.


During the battle, Solid and Tari are also bitten. The adventurers regroup outside and decide to search for Beladona in the forest. Good luck finding a plant not native to this region! The dice decided they do not find any.

After a long rest (the clock is ticking!), the party descends once more into the keep. They encounter two dwarves huddling behind some stone steps, who launch an ambush and trap Groin and Sotocus' familiar with burning oil. Solid steps in and extinguishes the flames with his frost breath. Groin casts Zone of Truth and convinces the dwarves that they mean no harm. The dwarves also reveal that they are not lycanthropes. They are actually part of the original expedition, also fooled by the werewolf dwaves. Most of their party was killed, and they were hunted day and night until managing to find a hiding hole. Groin further gains their trust by healing a wounded dwarf and giving them drinks.

Reinforced with two dwarves, the party heads deeper into the keep. In the former throne room, they encounter more werewolves, one of them being a sorcerer.



The lycanthropes are swiftly defeated, and one is even captured. This one was a gnome, and he happily told the party everything they wanted - from being lured by the traveling dwarves into their camp, being bitten and kidnapped, held until the curse was fully developed, and then having no other chance but to tag along.

[1] At least they learned something from previously setting a fire in a mine.

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