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Dunmari Frontier - Session 38

The Betrayer Moon: in which the party battles werewolves and uncovers secrets

Featuring: Kenzo, Wellby, Delwath, Seeker, Riswynn
In Taelgar: Jul 02, 1748 DR to Jul 03, 1748 DR
On Earth: Sunday Jan 23, 2022
Lair of the Fraternity of the Empty Moon, Tokra

The Dunmar Fellowship reunites with Riswynn who is hunting werewolves, and uncovers the secrets of the Fraternity of the Empty Moon after a tense battle.

Session Info

The party recovers the Werewolf Lair Treasure

Summary

  • The Dunmar Fellowship fights off a surprise werewolf attack with the help of Riswynn and Vistra Fireforge; Riswynn shares news of a werewolf attack in Tharn Todor traced back to Tokra.
  • Investigating the lair reveals a prophecy, a countdown to the next full moon, and other clues hinting at a greater threat
  • Riswynn cures Kenzo and Govir of suspected lycanthropy and aids in lair investigations.
  • A secret room is discovered, containing a trapped chest and a map, which the party retrieves with difficulty.
  • Kaleha is informed of the werewolf threat; discusses town history and plans for further investigation.
  • The party plans to awaken early to search for more signs of werewolves.

Timeline

Notes

Narrative

Our session begins with a flashback to Govir, hiding in the basement of the werewolves’ lair, dwelling on the past month. 

We return to the adventurers as the party starts to search the bodies and the lair, and inspect their wounds. The search is interrupted by the sounds of something pounding against the door that Wellby barred shut, and then a crash as a wolf leaps through the window. The wolf is quickly followed by a woman, who starts to shift, and another wolf. As the battle is engaged, two Dwarves arrive, having been chasing the werewolves. One is a familiar face, Riswynn . The other is the retired adventurer and now innkeeper of The Iron Swan, Vistra Fireforge, wearing plate armor and carrying a giant maul. After a few moments the final werewolves are dispatched, with the aid of the newcomers.

In the aftermath of the battle the party learns that Riswynn came to Tokra after a group of merchants arrived in Tharn Todor and turned to werewolves, attacking the city. Once subdued and healed, the Dwarves learned they had been attacked by a pack of wolves outside Tokra, and Riswynn traveled to investigate, meeting up with Vistra Fireforge in the city. After speaking with the Hardstones at the Archives, they had learned the party was in town and tracked them down. 

The party searches the bodies and the papers, uncovering what seem to be calculations about the moon and calendars, as well as a key and what seems to be a prophecy written in an unknown language, that Delwath reads:

When the sixth moon rises in the betrayer sky,

When the deepest echo of madness is nigh,

In the ancient cave of the Mad One’s soul.

Thirteen brethren, thirteen prayers,

Thirteen cold iron spears prepared,

Will bring forth the howl of empty despair.

And Jinnik’s curse will claim the land.

While searching the lair, they also uncover a giant calendar painted on the wall of the master bedroom that seems to be counting down days until August 1st, the next full moon, and some scattered coins and trinkets. 

After Riswynn heals Kenzo of suspected lycanthropy, she goes with Wellby to search the basement again for whatever the leader’s key opens, while Vistra Fireforge keeps onlookers from getting curious and the rest of the party takes a short rest. In the basement, Wellby finds a secret door hidden by an illusory wall. Inside is a small room with a locked chest, and a table with a map spread out on it. As Wellby opens the chest, poison gas pours out. Riswynn jumps on the table to get above it, while Wellby dashes out of the room. After some debate about how to rescue Riswynn and get the stuff out of the chest, Delwath uses mage hand to pass the Raven Whistle to Riswynn, letting her fly over the gas; Delwath also retrieves some items from the chest, including an Ivory Scroll Case that looks very familiar. As the party regroups, they decide to excavate a pit for the gas to pool in in order to get the rest of the stuff from the chest. 

Finally, at about 4:30 in the afternoon, the party leaves the lair, Vistra Fireforge remaining behind on guard until Kaleha can be notified. Kenzo goes to speak with Kaleha to let her know of the events of the day, while the rest of the party escorts Govir back to the Archives, where Riswynn cures him of his lycanthropy. 

Kaleha is shocked as she is not sure where the werewolves could have come from, given that anyone bearing Jinnik’s curse should have been turned away by Shakun’s Protection. She speculates that Chardon is the source, perhaps unaware, or momentarily forgetting in her shock, that Shakun’s Protection was inoperative for months. She relays rumors from a hundred years ago of werewolves in Tokra, before the protections of Shakun were complete, and invites Kenzo to return for dinner with his companions. 

In the Archives, the party regroups while Riswynn heals Govir and Delwath organizes the papers and notes in the strange language, not able to make much sense of them but translating them for Govir to interpret later. The notes on the prophecy are a bit clearer, in particular what seems to be someone’s note to themselves: “We must find a way past the Dunmari’s maze, and we must find a way to get to the Dunmari city without attracting attention. Maybe the old witch can help, if I can find something to trade worthy of her.” The party also receives a copy of the letter that Servius found, from Ardan: Archives Letter.

At dinner with Kaleha, the conversation focuses on the werewolves, the old fort and the connection to Pandemonium. Kaleha vows to send guards to keep watch on the place, and the party also tentatively agrees to investigate on their way north. From Kaleha, they also learn that the building the werewolves established as their lair was in the northern part of the city that was somewhat run down and abandoned, and now filled with refugees. She notes that if the city were not full of refugees, a large group of strangers probably would not have been able to set up a base unnoticed. 

As the dinner breaks up and the party goes to a well-deserved rest, they agree that they would tell Kaleha if they find anything, and turn in for the night, planning on awakening early in the pre-dawn light to search for signs of werewolves.