Session 49 - The One Where Carro and Mahtis Got Bitten

2nd December 2023

In-game timeline: DR1489 Marpenoth 29 - Marpenoth 29

Our "Heroes" seem to have arrived at a cavern system that they hope this time is the correct one. At least there are people here, and they are being invited inside. Unfortunately their new-found 'friends' turn against them as soon as they are inside the torch-lit tunnels.

The two humans they met outside turn quickly into human/wolf hybrids and start to attack the party. Mahtis and Carro were prepared for something to happen, and so are not surprised, but they are a little disappointed to find that their weapons prove ineffectual against the lycanthropes. What is worse, the werewolves have particularly nasty claw and bite attacks, and these seem to get through our "heroes" defences more often than they would like. What is even worse is that both Carro and Mahtis are bitten by their attackers and feel concerned when they sense some form of infection pass from the lycanthropes to themselves! Still, worry about that later, as this would be irrelevant if they don’t manage to stop the werewolves from tearing them apart!

Meanwhile TC has spotted an enemy hiding in the shadows ahead of them - a wererat! He runs over and swings his trusty sword at this diminutive foe and scores a hit! This weapon seems to be more effective than those of his compatriots, and the wererat is soon knocked unconscious - the paladin choosing to spare his life… at least for now.

Mahtis has meanwhile decided to change tack. Instead of using her ineffectual weapon, she conjures up four apes to take on the fight for her. The apes' claws prove equally pointless against the lycanthropes, but their strength allows them to grapple the two wolves, pinning them in place. This allows Mahtis and Carro to escape the melee before their health gives up on them, and Mahtis can offload some flame spells from a distance - which do seem to do damage - whilst the apes continue to hold the wolves down.

TC rejoins his friends, and together they stand to face the lycanthropes. Except, what is this? TC continued to run past his friends and is bolting for the exit of the cavern!

Come back! His friends shout, as they stagger around with the last few hit points of their strength. TC, at almost full health and seemingly with the only melee weapon that can do damage, is still running for the exit!

Luckily he has a change of heart and turns to unleash his Eldritch Blast at the enemy. These bolts also prove useful and the werewolves take more damage. At times they break free from the apes' clutches and bolt for the party, causing more damage at times, but the party prevail and eventually the two werewolves fall.

TC basks in the glory of 'his' kills as his friends mutter under their breath about his cowardice.

"I think we should rest. I have a scratched elbow." the mighty paladin declares. Carro and Mahtis raise their eyes.

Ignoring TC's pleas for now, they all drag the unconscious wererat - now in human form - outside and awake him. They interrogate him and find out a little more about what is going on, but not much. Enough to know this is the correct cave, and that these particular lycanthropes were sent here to prevent the Moonfall village adults from returning, whilst another group capture the children. Eventually, thinking they will get no more information from this one, TC knocks him out again and they manacle his hands behind his back.

Fed up with TC's whinging, the other two agree to rest for an hour. TC attempts to cure whatever it is that is coursing through Carro's veins with a Lesser Restoration, but it does not seem to do anything. Both Carro and Mahtis feel a little "weird" but it does not seem to be affecting them too much. Carro casts a fog cloud around them, which serves as a little protection as it stops others seeing them, though it also stops them from seeing outside and by the time they have rested and the cloud dissipates, the captured wererat - and their manacles - are gone.

The group finally head back inside the cave system and come into a large cave. Here they find evidence of a large group of people who had taken some tea, but only three of them remain, and those three happen to be dead - seemingly torn apart, probably by those same lycanthropes that attacked our "heroes". There is no sign of the rest of the villagers.

Frustrated, the group search around the cave walls. Carro spots something unusual in a stone pillar in the middle of the cave, and Mahtis works out that perhaps the poles that carry the torches in the tunnels leading to the cave could be part of the mechanism?

This proves to be the case and as Mahtis slots a pole through the corresponding hole in the pillar, and she and TC turn the pillar around with the pole, Carro sees a secret door opening up in the wall of the cave.

As they gather together and peer through the now revealed doorway, they see in the darkness ahead a group of humanoids, chained against the wall of another cave, looking cold, frightened and confused, though one or two also seem to be frothing at the mouth a little and Carro senses that perhaps not all of them are quite "with it"…