Victoriam Ruinam Chapter 4 Transformations

Having defeated the bandits on the road to Telarus, our heroes check the corpses for anything of use to them. Finding a few coins and their weapons, the only additional items of note were a bejeweled ring and a potion of healing hidden in the wreckage of the cart. Replenishing their supply of crossbow bolts and arrows, Alelyn casts decompose on the bodies covering them in a faint layer of fungus and they begin to break down. The group then recollected their horses and continued on their path. Traversing for a few more hours westward along the road. Setting up camp for the night in a clearing off the side of the road Alelyn took first watch. Seeing nothing of note other then some deer in the surrounding forest. Adelaide took second watch, taking exceptional interest in the state of one of the two moons overhead. Noting to herself that the full moon is about two days away. With her keen hearing she hears a wolf howling in the distance about a mile or so into the woods. By the sound of it it seems to be a larger than a regular wolf, but not necessarily dire wolf size.
Contemplating how she will break it to her friends and more specifically her newfound love interest Alelyn, that she needs to leave them for a few days. Looking down as she brushes a loch of raven colored hair away from the beautiful alabaster skinned face with a brief smile, making her decision that much harder. Savoring the moment of tranquility Adelaide just sits stroking Alelyn’s hair and watching her sleep until the end of her watch.
Gently waking Ludovicus for his watch, Adelaide informs him that there was nothing of note during her watch. Seeing a bit of resignation in her eyes, he asks if she is alright.
“Just tired is all.” She replies.
Noting that there is more to it than that, but choosing not to push the issue Ludovicus watches Adelaide move to rest and begins his watch. Making a perimeter sweep around the camp and deciding that there aren’t any immediate threats he returns to the fireside for his watch. Hearing a twig snap, he jerks his head in that direction. Watching and listening he waits. One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes, still nothing. Deciding that it must have been nothing more than a a forest animal he goes back to watching the campfire and contemplating what his next step is with the Court. With the sun beginning to rise, he prepares breakfast for the group.
As they continue down the path with Ludovicus in the lead about thirty feet ahead of them, Alelyn slows her horse’s pace to ride beside Adelaide. “So... you’re a werewolf huh?” She says casually.
Clearly flustered by this, Adelaide blushes and responds “What? Nnnnoo, Why would you say that? That’s ridiculous!”
“C’mo, I’ve seen the way you are constantly looking at the moons, and you have to leave for a couple days right as one of the moons is about to be full, for errands?” Pausing for a second watching Adelaide try to avoid eye contact. “I mean it would be kinda cool if you were.” She says with a knowing smirk.
“I am not a werewolf!” she stammers. “Wait... Did you say it would be cool if I was?”
“Mm...Hmph” Comes the reply with a sly smile. “I mean its cute that you’re trying to lie about it. Its kinda like me saying I don’t rob graves, I would never do that.” She says with a wink.
“Well, I mean it would be kinda cool if I was. I mean, I’m not saying I am, but if I...” Alelyn leans in and kisses her with a “Shhh...” After a few seconds she pulls away and quietly says, “It’s ok that you’re a werewolf. You don’t have to leave, we’ll figure this out together... All of us.”
All the while, Ludovicus is listening to this while maintaining the watch from the front. Adelaide looks to see if he is listening, but he remains non-responsive, leading her to assume he can’t hear them. Glancing over his shoulder he notices Adelaide is mildly flushed, all the while Alelyn gives him a knowing wink and he shakes his head with a faint barely audible chuckle.
Letting the conversation drop for now they continue on. Noticing in a clearing ahead, a small woodland pool with a larger humanoid playing a lute sitting nearby watching a deer drink. As they approach they make out that the form is a turtle-like humanoid and that it appears to be strumming his lute rather peacefully while smoking his pipe. The sound is actually quite beautiful and relaxing. Adelaide recalls from her studies that it is a little known species, known as a Tortle not commonly found on the continent of Angimarr. They decide to speak with the individual they dismount and tie up their horses nearby and approach. “Hail, friend.” calls Alelyn.
Stopping his strumming on his lute, with a slow turn of the head the tortle turns to look at them. “Hail.” He calls in a slow deep voice, coming to his feet.
“What are you doing out here?” Adelaide asks.
“Just passsingg through. Saw the pool and decided to sit a spell with my lute.” Stammers the tortle.
“We’re passing through too. Where’d you come from.”
“Telarus. Folke weren’t very generous with their coin.”
“Really? That’s where we’re heading. Why were they not giving you coin?”
“Might just be me... Some folke don’t care fer my songs.”
“Can we hear one?”
“Song? Sure.” He clears his throat and starts strumming his lute.
While he starts performing, Alelyn sits down and pulls out her journal and starts sketching out this strange tortle playing his lute. Adelaide tries to peek over her shoulder to see what she is doing, however she can’t make out the details. She does catch a glimpse of another drawing on a different page making note of the horns peeking out in what little bit she is able to glean.
As he finishes up his song, Adelaide says “That was wonderful. What’s your name friend?”
“Orlann... What about you friends?”
“We’re Victoriam Ruinam. I am Adelaide, this is Alelyn, and this is Ludovicus. Your song was very lovely, here take this for the performance.” Each reach of them reach out to hand him several gold pieces. “I don’t know why the folke in Telarus didn’t want to give you any coin, I thought you were very good. Where will you head now Orlann?”
“I think I’ll head east to the coast. Had a friend headed that way with his pipes. ...Maybe it was north, can’t remember.”
“Know of any dangers ahead?” ask Ludovicus.
“Been hearing lot of wolves of late, and saw somtin big fly overhead.” Orlann rumbles.
“Safe travels Orlann, we hope to see you again.” Adelaide says.
“Safe travels to you friends.” comes the reply.
Strumming his lute he slowly starts to walk away down the path from which they came.
Watching Orlann leave, Adelaide moves closer to Alelyn who is finishing her drawing over by the pool. She glances down and catches a glimpse of Alelyn’s drawing, noting that it is very well done and bears a striking resemblance to Orlann. Adelaide makes note to bring it up later and maybe get to see some of the other drawings she has done.
Returning to their horses having watered them at the pool, they prepare to continue setting off on their journey. Continuing down the path, Ludovicus takes the lead watching for any dangers ahead. Several hours later he spots a clearing ahead, through a small copse of trees, and begins to hear a screeching roar and the tearing of meat from within the clearing.
At the same time, Adelaide’s head cocks upward as she sniffs the air. Keeping her voice down, she says “I smell blood and slightly rotting meat.” sniff... sniff...
They slow the horses, attempting to keep them as quiet as possible. Ludovicus points out the clearing, as they all look they can see something large and feathered beyond the trees. Deciding to try and sneak by, they move forward as quietly as possibly. Unfortunately, Alelyn’s horse steps on a large dried branch with a loud snaapppp...
Looking to the creature they see it raise its head, blood and gore dripping from its beak. Ludovicus immediately recognises the beast as a griffon, and says that he doesn’t want to fight it. He creates a magical zone of darkness, engulfing them in its icy blackness. This intern startles the horses, causing them to stir an whinny nervously.
Being unable to see anything withing the field of the magic darkness, Adelaide dismounts with surprising agility. She moves forward out of the darkness raising her hands and enchanting a spell pointing at the beast, when the sound of a bell rings out causing the griffon excruciating pain.
Adelaide hearing the bell toll, flips off her horse with untold grace and nimbleness in a twisting flourish. Landing on the balls of her feet and dashing forward towards the sound of Alelyn’s spell, drawing her hand-crossbow and her hoarfrost blade. Firing at the griffon, piercing one of its wings with a splurt eliciting a terrifying screech from the beast. Using the roots of one of the trees to gain some needed altitude, she launches herself onto the back of the griffon, slashing out with her blade. Flexing its wings outward, hitting the blade away parrying the strike knocking her somewhat off balance on its back.
Turning its head to strike at Adelaide with its gore caked beak, and slashing with its large blood soaked talons. Nimbly dodging the beak Adelaide steps left, but failed to see the secondary strike from the talons. The claw striking out slashing into her thigh, rending the flesh in splash of blood. She attempts to stifle her gasp to look tough in front of Alelyn, in a feeble attempt to impress her.
Looking on Alelyn sees the flesh rip open, and hears the faintest of pain filled gasps escape her love’s lips. Rage boiling over, she grasps her shovel preparing to obliterate the foul beast that harmed her love.
Noting that his companions decided against staying within the darkness he created in an attempt to hide from the beast, Ludovicus rushes forward out of the darkness to aid his friends commanding Fenrir to do the same. Dashing forward utilizing the terrain to his advantage, he vaults from one tree to another launching himself at the massive griffon before them. Bringing his staff down with a crack to the beast’s skull, following with a left cross to its flank, and a quick one two jab-hook combo he lands two more hits. Though the hits landed, his inexperience with griffon anatomy prevented him from hitting a critical spot to stun it and keep it from further attacking his friends.
At the same time Fenrir slinks up on the griffon’s right, leaping out fangs bared and bites down into it’s front haunch just above the the knee. Tearing the flesh, teeth sinking deep into the meat and ripping a chunk away in spray of blood, Fenrir lands with a growl. His fur standing on end, blood dripping from his teeth he prepares for his next attack and unleashes a howl. The griffon screeching its rage and fury in answer, starts to thrash about in attempt to dislodge Adelaide from its back.
Finding itself severely outmatched and wounded the griffon starts beating its wings to flee. The sudden motion momentarily causing Adelaide to loose her footing. With a flourish she flips backward striking out with a vicious slash from her Hoarfrost Blade, connecting right at the base of the griffons skull. With a wet rip the blade sinks deep into the neck freezing the blood as it pushes deeper. The slash caught at just the right angle, slicing right between the vertebrae and almost severing the griffon’s head.