Party 3

pythor229 pythor229

As you open the door to the throne room expecting darkness and gore, you instead find a moonlit ruin, illuminated by the large stained glass windows to each side. The floor is littered with the corpses of more guards and one humanoid wearing mere rags for clothing, blood freshly dripping from them all. Duchess Morwen's throne, once a thing of regale and glamour, is smashed to splinters scattered about the room.

In the corner, backed up against the wall, is the woman herself. As you peek in you don't quite see any movement, which leads you to believe she was a casualty as well...until she notices your shadowy figure and looks up, struggling to speak up in a weak voice.

“H-hello..? Is... someone there?...”
 
Once Thia notices her she rushes over to help her. "We're all here, w-we came back after dealing with the people outside of the town. What happened here, are you hurt? I'm s-sure Tazdaar can lay on hands if you're h-hurt." Thia asks her in the calmest voice she can conjure up, which is still pretty shaky. She waits with the Duchess while the rest of her party catches up.
 
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Tazdaar examines the one body on the floor that isn't wearing a guard's uniform. It isn't someone he recognizes, but the body is so drenched in blood it's hard to tell. The clothes are torn along all the seams, as though they had burst outward. The dragonborn looks at the torn clothes, then the moonlight, and he shivers. This could be even worse than he thought.

At the sound of his name he looks toward Thia and Morwen, and sees the Duchess cowering there.

"Of course," he says, rushing over. "Lady Morwen, if you are hurt I can ease your pain a bit." Tazdaar offers his hands.

"That person there," he says, nodding toward the body he had just inspected. "Who is it? Were they part of this?"
 
Magnus trails behind the group, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. He stiffled a gasp as they approach the hurt Duchess, his eyes flare up again and offers his healing magic along with Tazdaar. "Duchess Morwen, what happened here? Who did this?"
 
Thienna is awful at being comforting-- she always had been-- so she didn’t bother trying. Besides, Tazdaar and Magnus seem to have the situation with the Duchess well in hand.

She steps closer to the destroyed throne, but the only information she can glean is that it’s been smashed to pieces.
 
Lady Morwen seems to ease somewhat as you approach, a ghost of a smile touching her paled lips as she recognizes your faces. “Ah... I’m glad you managed to make it back. A shame that I can't welcome you the same way I did earlier this evening.” She attempts to chuckle at her joke, but is soon interrupted by a pained coughing fit.

She exhales in relief as Tazdaar and Magnus kneel down and pour their healing magic into her. They would notice an awful gash on her torso close slightly, though it still remained fresh and bare. Finally able to calm down a bit, she looked up to you four and bit her lip, struggling to speak. "I'm fine now, but the last of beasts may still be around. Unless they already made off with Eve -" She paused in shock, tears rolling down her face. "Oh gods, Eve..! This is all my fault..."

She shook her head, trying to get on with the explanation. “Eve’s father was never one for a life such as mine, and I respected that. However… when I learned that he had been infected with lycanthropy I forced him out of my duchy, fearing that he would pose a threat to my people." She sighs, turning towards one of the moonlit windows. "Of course he saw it as more of a blessing than anything else, vowing to one day take our daughter into his fold. I thought he had forgotten of this promise - but tonight he decided to storm the keep. I grabbed Eve and hid in here, and we managed to fend them off for some time...but as you can see, they managed to get through.” She nods at the one body that Tazdaar hat pointed out. "One of theirs. I fear I don't have much left in me to fight another one....myself included."

She let that statement ring in the air for a few heavy seconds, before speaking up once more. “...Rumar, as that is is name, didn’t want me dead. No. He wanted me to see this through his point of view.” The duchess’ voice begins to quiver, her fear palpable. “Please, while I know you can heal my wounds I don't have much time before the curse takes hold tonight. There must be something you can do to reverse it.” She looks at you all, in utter despair and fear.
 
Thia tears up a little, but tries to push it back, as it would only hinder the mission at hand. "Don't worry, we'll try to get you help as soon as possible. Then we will find a way to get your daughter back." Thia didn't know if anything she was saying would actually come to pass, she hoped in her heart it would, but right now she was more saying stuff to try and make the Duchess feel better. She looks up to her friends with tears in her eyes. "A cleric might be able to help her, we need to find one as soon as possible." Thia glances back at the Duchess for a moment, before continuing. "Should one of us stay here to watch over her?"
 
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"I think we should take her. Time is of the essence." Tazdaar lifts her into his arms, eyes the werewolf's corpse warily one last time and steps over the dead guards littering the room. "Keep a sharp eye, friends. They may come back to finish the job."

"My lady, do you know of a cleric experienced enough to cure such an illness?"
 
Thia watches as Tazdaar picks up the Duchess in his big arms. She stares after them for a moment, lost in thoughts of what would happen if they couldn't find someone in time. The moment passes though and she stands up from her crouched position and follows after Tazdaar, wiping the tears from her eyes as she does so. "Do you also know where Rumar could have taken Eve?" She asks the Duchess.
 
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Morwen calms her breathing, allowing Tazdaar to pick her up. "Thank you. There should be a temple, just outside of town. I pray we aren't too late." Stifling a cough, she looks to all of you."I don't know where they went. They were just here, I tried to stop them but you can obviously see how well that worked out. They could still be around...but not for long, I fear. Not when this is the night when they are at their strongest."

She looks through the stained glass windows, watching as fog slowly began to creep closer in the distance while the full moon shone above."...There's a temple to Lathander, just outside of the town borders. They should be able to help." She looks to you all with a sad smile. "As much as I wish to find my daughter, I fear that I may only be a hindrance to the search in my current state. Please, make haste.
 
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Magnus follows her gaze to the full moon and turns to the rest. "Let's take her to the temple first, and maybe get some help or information on how to stop these things."
 
Thia takes a small lead ahead of Tazdaar, hoping that if anything were to come harm them it would reach her first instead of the already weak Duchess. "Don't worry, we'll get you to safety as fast as we can, then we can look around and ask if anyone saw them. They couldn't have completely disappeared into the night, someone has to have seen them." Thia felt her best when she had a goal ahead of her, something she could focus on instead of her introverted ways that she usually focused on. Thia moved towards the goal of the temple as fast as Tazdaar could follow.
 
Tazdaar tries to walk as quickly as he can without jostling Morwen too much. He tries to keep an eye on his surroundings in the darkened city streets, but finds it difficult while carrying the Duchess, and resorts to simply keeping a close eye on Thia and any reaction she might make.

"My lady, that you managed to hold off such a beast is impressive, truly. I had no idea you were so skilled in magic. Once we get you all healed up, you must teach me a thing or two," he says, feigning a smile, though he still feared he may have to turn his sword against before the night was out. He couldn't imagine anyone would not prefer death to such a fate as being one of those vile monsters.

"Do you know of anyone or anything that might help us defeat Rumar and his comrades?"
 
MaxPowerKL5 MaxPowerKL5 Morwen chuckles weakly. "We had prepared, of course. I knew he'd come back one day for Eve, so I had a small store of weapons custom-made for such an occasion. But he overwhelmed us with numbers we didn't expect." As you exit the keep, she points out a handful of corpses here and there. Though you hadn't paid much attention to it before hand in the dim light, upon closer inspection the bloodied weapons at their side appear to gleam differently than typical steel. "We distributed the few that we had to the most experienced of our guard, and while they did their best it was simply too much." She avoids staring too long at their mangled faces, instead curling inwards and looking to the ground beneath you. "Magic will harm the beasts as well, and from what I've seen several of you are skilled in that regard as well. Perhaps there is hope after all."

You quickly make your way out of the keep and back into the open, heading in the direction that Morwen had pointed. The biting wind from before had died down slightly, and in the distance the fog continued to waft its way to surrounding the entire town. Once you're a decent distance outside of the city borders, onto a trail between woods, you all find yourselves at the entrance of a small temple. Small oil lamps illuminate some of the windows, shedding warm light on the various worn draperies and symbols to the suns.

One of you knocks lightly on the front door, and after a few seconds you hear a faint padding of footsteps leading up. With a slight creak, the wooden door opens inward to reveal a younger woman dressed in light acolyte's robes. "A-ah, yes? What can I do for you?" Her eyes fall on the duchess, who is quietly holding her wound as she remains in Tazdaar's arms. "Oh, my! I-I'll wake up the head priest immediately - please, hurry inside." She gestures for you to come inside, pointing out the small area of worship with some pews and seats within. Once you're all safely inside she nods and heads in another direction, disappearing down one of the halls.
 
Thia looked around at the fog as they made their way to the temple. She couldn't remember if she ever saw this much around the city like it was tonight. But she cleared her head of these thoughts and focused back onto the important matter of the Duchess. When they got into the temple and settled down she checks the Duchess's condition. "It will probably be safer for you to rest here after the curse is removed, you are still very weak. We will go out to find Eve as soon as we can."
 
pythor229 pythor229 Morwen chuckled with a sigh, still nursing the wound on her torso as the group settled into the room. "That wouldn't be the worst idea, really. Though I couldn't stay for too long - I have a duchy to run. I couldn't bear to sit around idly as my people woke up to a gaping hole where the keep used to be - someone needs to rebuild the barricades, recruit for the guard. Maintain hope and optimism." She nods solemnly, looking to the floor. "I do hope you find her, though in the end I may simply have to move on. They could be anywhere at this point."
 
Tazdaar sets Morwen down on a hard, wooden pew, silently wishing they had something more comfortable for the injured woman. Where was that fool girl and her priest, anyway?

"Do you know where he may have taken your daughter? Even a general direction? I've no clue where to begin looking."

Tazdaar pulls out the slivered shortswords and watches the reflected candlelight flicker and dance along the blades. A little small for his taste, but it would cut through those filthy lycanthropes all the same. He slides one of them into his sword belt and holds the other out to Thienna, hilt first. He'd seen the elf in action, and though he would not publicly admit it, in her hands and with her speed it would be of even greater use.

"How about you, ranger? Think you can track these beasts?" Tazdaar asked with a grin. Maybe this night would turn out to be fun after all.
 
He'd just expected this to be a night of revelry, but it turned into something worse. Still, the thrill of the moment is much more appealing than investing time in a something dull. They'd need to save an innocent soul, that will please his patron, he's sure of it. He waits for the return of the old woman, hopefully there will some much needed supplies to aid them.
 
As Tazdaar sets her down, Morwen considers the question carefully before shaking her head. "I've no idea, unfortunately. I hadn't heard from Rumar in years, and I've been too busy running the duchy to even consider going out and looking for werewolves myself. I would have never believed he was so close by..." She sighed, a feeling of melancholy washing over her.

"What about the Misty Forest?"

You all turn around to the source of the voice, an elderly man in hastily donned acolytes robes accompanied by the younger priest from before. "I'd heard rumors of large beasts roaming within the Misty Forest, thirty or so miles east of Daggerford. At the time I had dismissed it as the ramblings of old farmers and travelers, but it seems that there is more substance to that than I had realized."

Walking over to Morwen as fast as the younger woman will allow, he kneels down and begins to mutter a series of holy incantations, clutching his symbol of the sun and waving his hands over the bite wound. It appears to begin to heal slowly. He turns to the rest of you, a concerned yet understanding look in his eyes. "It will take time to heal. I don't know what else you plan to do tonight, but I will pray that Lathander watch over you all."

Morwen breathes a sigh of relief, then nods to you as well. "Good luck. I wish I could be of more help."
 
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Thia nods to the Duchess, then turns to the door of the temple and breathes a sigh of relief. She didn't know if she had the heart to kill the Duchess if the curse wasn't removed in time. She knew that if she didn't do it one of her friends would, but she would still feel responsible somehow. "Let's go guys, maybe we can find Eve before morning."
 
Magnus thanks the priest for his blessing, although he doesn't worship any dieties, he acknowledges that they need all rhe help that they could get, the duchy was prepared yet the creatures still overwhelmed them. He turns to the elderly priest. "Father, can we request aid from your clergy. While I don't doubt the strenght of my companion, surely you have something that could help us."
 
Skux In Tux Skux In Tux The priest thinks about it for a second, but sighs and shakes his head." "I'm afraid I cannot spare anything for you, considering how humble our establishment in the first place. The town has seen enough strife tonight...we'll need everything we can to treat any other potential casualties." He glances down at your silvered weapons and magical armaments. "Besides, you all seem capable enough adventurers. I'm sure you'll manage without it." He nods solemnly, sorry that he could not afford to offer more for you all.
 
"Well then, it is time we were off," Tazdaar says, watching the candlelight dance along the silver blade one last time before sliding it into his sword belt. With luck it would not be the only dancing this blade did before the night was out. But it must have been nearly morning by then, and it would only make it more difficult to track these werewolves once they changed their form. 30 miles to the forest ... they had lost too much time already.

"My lady, if you have horses to spare that would help us, but regardless, we must be off." He nods at his partners and strides toward the door, holding it open, letting the cool night air flow in. The streets still appeared deserted, except for this damnable fog. He felt smothered by it, suffocated, like a heavy pillow held over the city to asphyxiate all life beneath it. The sun's arrival would be welcome for that reason, at least. Burn off the fog and free the town. Then we'll do the same to these monsters ...
 
"Tazdaar," Azgard whispers, "my sight is limited, I will be behind you."

Carefully stepping forward, Azgard reaches out to contact Tazdaar’s back. He prepares an orb from his pocket, mutters a prayer to himself in Infernal, and listens closely into the night. Dull red waves begin to feather in the clear orb as the faint cry of wolves infests Azgard’s ears.

“The wolves can’t be far. We must proceed with caution.” Azgard warns.
 
Carne had been following along tracks that hopefully lead him to tonight's dinner, when strange mist appeared and swallowed him. He took a look around, noticing that the mist was much thicker behind him, but he could see relatively clear ahead. It felt as though the mist was guiding him somewhere.
This was clearly not a natural ocurrence, and knowing this sent a shiver down his spine. Regardless, he felt as though he had no choice but to follow along.

He soon noticed a couple of figures ahead. There were three of them, and they seemed just as lost as himself.
Usually, Carne would simply let these folks be, as he had no intention of getting to know strangers and was no fan of idle chit-chat, but these mysterious circumstances had him on edge. It felt best to work as a team. Carefully, he approached the group head on.

"Greetings, I am Carne Bearskin. You lot look rather confused. Truth be told, so am I."
 
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