The Tunnels of Fayrfyelds

*"There's something not natural in them there burrows."*

## Overview

Answering an advert for volunteers to go out beyond the protecting parameter, the adventurers spoke with Perquinal, the Town Clerk. The town of Mystward needs supplies from the farming community of Fayrfyelds. Brave adventurers have volunteered to travel into the mist shrouded countryside and pick up some fruit and veg. As they were leaving the Town Hall, Abjurer Moko Cha approached them and asked that any unusual specimens of the outside world be brought to him. The adventures agreed to his terms for 5GP for a dead specimen and 10GP for a live specimen.

On the way to Fayrfyelds, the Adventurers encounter burnt out farmsteads but no signs of people. In one such farmstead they found a preserved severed leg under a table in a burnt out kitchen, and a trail of human and wolf footprints. These lead them to a copse of trees where a strange man, dressed in furry rags, was laughing manically to himself while tied to a stake. The adventurers erred on the side of caution and soon encountered three further creatures waiting in hiding in the tree tops above. Dispatching of them quickly, an examination of the bodies afterwards showed them to be a fusion of wolf and man - leading to them being named Worgens. Taking a head from one of the fallen creatures then carried on to the village.

Upon entering into Fayrfyelds they found the village square deserted, but with signs of battle scaring the buildings and strange large holes in the ground. The small village meeting house was the only building that seemed undamaged as it was lit by the light of a small glowing orange crystal upon the stoop. Satoru was able to convince the village leader Mellet Strawstone to open the doors and let them in. Inside were 30 scared villagers, who for the last week had been hiding in the meeting house, seemingly protected from the creatures that had attacked on the night of The Shadow Incursion.

The adventurers learnt that many villagers had not made it to the meeting house, having been dragged down into the burrows under the square. Agreeing to investigate, the adventurers rested up and on first light ventured out into the village. In the Shrine to The Seven Faiths they found the remains of the hedge wizard but no signs of life. Exploring outside they found a large burrow entrance leading down into the earth. Crouching down, they made their way into the twisting network of tunnels before being attacked by two Vesperoth. One critically injured Satoru while the two of them fenced rapier to stinger. The other adventurers managed to slay the insects but their troubles were not over.

In a side cavern, bathed in a sickly pulsating yellow glow, an Ankheg tended to a clutch of large eggs. Hanging from the roof by sticky strands of insect glue where several bodies of the missing villagers. The eagle eyes of one adventurer spotted that one of the villagers was still breathing, though barely. A decision was made and the adventurers struck, casting spells and firing arrows into the creature. One spell went astray, instead striking the nest and destroying all but one of the eggs in a gooey mess and plunging the underground cavern into darkness. The Ankheg almost overwhelmed the adventurers when it vomited forth a torrent of acid, but by working together the adventurers were able to defeat it and save the villager, Flora Fyelds.

Further exploration found no more living villagers, though one of the adventurers did take the sole surviving egg. Many of the tunnels led to dead ends, but one such passageway took the adventurers to an open pit, with a vertical shaft of brick leading down into the darkness. Back topside, the adventurers returned the unconscious Flora Fyelds back to the care of the village and collected a small reward for their troubles and the much needed fruit and veg. Upon return to Mystward, the adventurers delivered the supplies to Perquinal and the collected specimens to Abjurer Moko Cha.

The next day, upon waking, Satoru discovered that his eyes had changed from their usual blue to a sickly amber with catlike pupils.

## Adventurers

* Satoru
* Three other adventurers

## NPCs Encountered

* Mellet Strawstone
* Flora Fyelds

## Monsters Encountered

* Worgen
* Vesperoth
* Ankheg

## Treasure Received

* Scroll of Shield from body of Hedge Wizard in the Shrine to The Seven Faiths
* Two Healing Potions from the Shrine to The Seven Faiths
* Mithril Chain Shirt from Mellet Strawstone
* 15GP from Abjurer Moko Cha for two gathered specimens (Worgen head and Ankheg egg)

## Secrets Learnt

* Worgen use trickery to lure people into traps
* Magical crystals can act as a protective barrier against attacks from some creatures