Death & Rebirth, Chapter 2

General Summary

The group wakes up and makes their way downstairs, where breakfast is being served. Aungor is already awake (and eating a large dwarf’s breakfast, earning some teasing from Havine). Jasttor makes his way downstairs and looks exhausted, not having had any sleep the night before. He asks the group to help him in interrogating Ilweth, revealing that he’s “not very good at interrogations”.
He goes with Medericus and Kitrick upstairs to a room where they question Ilweth. Tally waits just outside the door. Kitrick uses a poisoned dagger and Gnawdy as intimidation but doesn’t go as far as hurting Ilweth before she reveals needed information. She was to assassinate Jasttor and stop him from reporting back to the Metalhearts. This was to be the prerequisite for her initiation as a true member of her organization: the Red Dragon cult. This cult is a collection of Tiamat worshippers looking to help overtake cities from the inside and lie in wait while she is resurrected.
Ilweth then reveals that the Red Dragon cult knew this information because the Metalhearts have a spy in their ranks: a human by the name Ashwing.
Jasttor straightens, turns around, and storms his way out, accidentally knocking into Tally on the way out. He stops to help her up and give her a quick apology, but continues downstairs and out of the inn.
Havine, Relentless, and Aungor are still downstairs, curious about the others but not about to nose into their business; Relentless casually puts an arm around Havine, alerting Aungor to their relationship, but the dwarf decides not to say anything on it until later.
Back upstairs, Kitrick continues questioning Ilweth about how and why she joined the cult in the first place. Reluctantly, she tells them that she was once a citizen of an elf city, and as a child, a few of the cultists arrived asking after talented children in the arcane arts. Thinking the cultists were professors, Ilweth and some of the other children went with them, supposedly to learn and study under them and come back after their education. However, they were spirited away and brainwashed to be loyal to the Red Dragon cult, never to see their families again. Ilweth mentions a brother and her mother. She also quickly reiterates that she owes her livelihood to the cult, as if defending them. Feeling empathy for their prisoner, Kitrick quietly promises that, if she ever wished to return to her family, he would help her. She nods but says nothing else.
Tally goes downstairs and looks for Jasttor, going outside to find him by the Kinesp River outside the inn. They’re silent for a few moments before he tells her that Ashwing was his friend, seeming angry and upset about the whole situation. Tally offers him a stone to throw into the water saying that it “might make [him] feel better”. (He tries to skip it but his lack of dexterity makes it simply plop into the water). He tells Tally that he needs to leave the group and report back to the Metalhearts about Favnir, properly imprison Ilweth, and investigate the matter of Ashwing’s betrayal. He gives her the amulet he’d been wearing, telling her that the Metalhearts’ base location will be revealed to her through it, as well as any other important locations to their quest. He tells her that he implicitly trusts her to do the right thing and carry on as the group’s guide in his place, and then heads back to the inn, leaving her stunned in his wake.
Some of the party heads back up to the gates to do business. Kitrick does a day of work for Bega, knocking 5gp off his total amount of the cost of training Gnawdy, and she teaches Gnawdy the difference between friend and foe. Tally and Medericus get assurance from a guard that they will be compensated in gold for taking care of the problems in the forest.
Back at the inn, Relentless buys caffar tea leaves (and learns of a few other available teas, including one called “birthnot”).
The party (minus Jasttor and Ilweth) heads to the forest, noticing the strange, quiet feel to it right off. Havine investigates a set of bloody wolf tracks and finds a corpse, seemingly killed by a man made weapon. Right when Relentless warns Aungor, nearest to the dead wolf, to watch for it in case it bites, it actually DOES come to life and the party becomes surrounded by an undead wolf pack. More and more filter in throughout the battle, including a huge alpha wolf.
Immediately, Tally shoots one of the first wolves and crits it, killing it instantly. Aungor shape-shifts into a bear to help fight the wolves. Medericus switches between healing a few party members with Healing Word and using his two-handed weapons. Havine Turns Undead and heals the party when they get critically low; most notably, she gets a critical hit against the alpha wolf just before its necrotic breath nearly knocks Relentless unconscious. Relentless allows himself to be bitten and uses Hellish Rebuke against the alpha before summoning an Eldritch Blast. Kitrick attempts to climb on top of the alpha wolf and grapple it, but it is too large for him to successfully get on top; he casts Darkness as well, making it difficult for the wolf to aim for them. Relentless then finishes the alpha and a feared wolf with Shatter.
The battle has left the party weary and in need of rest. They find a suitable place for camp and forage for food for a few hours; Tally investigates tracks leading deeper into the woods that they agree to follow in the morning. They rest for the night.

Report Date

08 Jan 2017