Age of Strife 2: Episode 05

## Cast

Neal Pass Erickson - Dungeon Master

Bradley - Tybarodite

Jennifer Latham - Marcella 'Ginger' Thorne

Jeff - Stefan Thorne

Patrick - Luther Thorne

## Recap

### Sunday, 13th November, 56 AoS

Tybarodite, Stefan Thorne, Luther Thorne & Ginger Thorne return to the Thorne Estate in Waadsworth. They find out from their socialite aunt, Sera Thorne, that the Lithman Family are unhappy that the party spread the news about Ash Lithman's capture by bandits. The party spread the news in the village of Darbloom last episode while searching for Ash Lithman.

Countess Lorwind will return to Waadsworth in 2 days time, and Zayne is expected to be found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Preparations for the Pyre have been started in the Town Square.

The family go rest shortly after returning from their trip out of town.

### Monday, 14th November, 56 AoS

Over breakfast, the party's Ancient Historian Uncle, Joseph Thorne, reveals a map he made with his research. The map shows 9 locations are sites of interest before the War.

1. A Pirate Resupply Town north of the Tuk-Tuk Mountains, on the coast of the northern Foothills. Spotted 20 years ago during the "Pirate War".
2. The Shadewwood grew up around a old temple from before the war.
3. The Village of Rosebloom as a large cemetery with many mausoleums. Many of the mausoleums have been broken into, many haven't.
4. The Waadsworth Crypts have had many significant people buried with wealth & artefacts.
5. Nixon - The Main Temple, Temple of Martha, The Main Keep, and many noble houses.
6. Abandoned Elven Village - West of the Hills north of Waadsworth near the edge of the Blackthorn Forest. Sacked by Lord Thorne's troops during the war before the Tuk-Tuk Mountains were created.
7. Abandoned Human Village - West of the Barrens, inside the edge of the Blackthorn Forest. Elves may have already picked it clean.
8. Old Lighthouse - East of the Shadewood on the Peninsula.
9. Lake Lorun - The Villages along the edge of the lake have been abandoned.

Stefan asks about why Waadsworth was founded. Uncle Joseph says it was founded around 1200 years ago. It was probably built in its location as a trade hub with the elves during the Age of Prosperity.

After breakfast a visitor comes to the estate. A young man who works for the Town Herald reports to the family about 30 deaths in the slums north of the Fish Market overnight. There are claw-marks in the bodies, some ripped app and paw prints in the blood. The grisly sight was discovered this morning. The bloody paw prints turn into human prints then disappear into the water. The messenger is then dismissed.

Tybarodite wants to leave it to the Sheriff Bruce, but the family decide to check out the crime at the least. Uncle Joseph talks about werewolf lore, and they could be from the Blackthorn Forest. The family gear up and head to the Fish Market to investigate. She spot the Sheriff walking away from the Fish Market into the slums. Sheriff Bruce is actually happy to see the party, and could use their help.

Sheriff Bruce leads the party to the crime scene south of the Fish Markets in the slums. Doors have been ripped open, bodies laying in the street, blood on the walls and in the street. Some doors have claw marks in them. The bodies and blood continue down the allyway down to a certain house. Witnesses heard the sound of a beast coming from the house around sunset. It was quiet for a few hours, then the rampage though the allyway occurred until dawn.

Sheriff Bruce leads the party into the house, inside lay dead and partially eaten is a family of 3, a father and 2 children. The bodies outside in the street don't look eaten, just attacked. Ty spots a dress on the ground in the house that has it's seams ripped apart on one side, and a blouse that has been ripped and the buttons popped off. Ty suspects the mother as being the culprit.

The party wonder if they can find out what the woman looks like so they can find her in human form. The Sheriff points out that since these clothes were left behind, if the werewolf was her, then she is now naked somewhere in Waadsworth.

Werewolves transform the night before, the night of, and the night after after the full moon. Tonight is going to be the Full Moon, and there is likely going to be another Werewolf Attack. The family go around asking about the deceased family without incriminating the missing mother. The find out her name was Beatrice and get her description and she worked as a Mucker. The party find nothing of real value in the house.

After midday the family reconvene back at their family estates. Many other nobles houses are evacuating in carriages out of town while the werewolf threat is present. Stefan tries some damage control over the Lithman situation, by downplaying the Thorne involvement and playing up Lord Kel Rugspin Greendall's heroism.

The family have a meeting. Tybarodite suggests breaking into the other nobles houses while the families are unaware. It is pointed out there are still guards at all the houses. The family decide to help out against the werewolf instead.

Before sunset, the Family stakes out the Drowned Rat, waiting for screams to start outside somewhere. The mood in the Drowned Rate is sombre. Tybarodite buys a round of drinks for the bar. He gets some sombre cheers from the crowd.

As the sunsets, the bar is cleared out and the owner closes up. Outside the streets are being cleared. Luther tries to break back into the Drowned Rat, but can't break the locks. The party talk about their next move for some time, then they hear a wolf howl from the North. The party rush north to the Fish Market and find the howling is coming north across the river.

The family cross the bridge and hear the howls of dying men. As they enter the Northern Market they see 4 people sprinting for their lives as a large wolve chases after them and leaps on one of the civilians. The family form a shield wall across the bridge as Stefan shoots his crossbow from behind. Luther & Tybarodite blows their horns.

Tybarodite breaks rank and charges to melee the giant wolf. Stefan and Ginger move in with their Shields still up. The wolf knocks Ginger out with a powerful claw attack. The family continue to attack the wolf. The wolf goes to flee and as it goes over the edge of the bridge, the family stab it. The wolf falls limply into the water with a splash.

The wolf's body drifts down the flow of the river eastward. Tybarodite rushes to the Crypt Island to get ahead of the wolf and Stephan. Luther stays with the unconscious Ginger, taking shots at the wolf from the bridge. When the wolf is between the Bridge and the Crypt, it starts to paddle. The brothers continue to fire at the wolf.

Sheriff Bruce arrives at the bridge with 2 guards as the wolf starts to swim for the Crypts. Stephan reaches Tybarodite's position on the island before the wolf does. The brothers keep firing on the wolf as Luther, Sheriff Bruce and his guards run over to meet them on the Crypt Island, leaving the unconscious Ginger behind.

The Wolf starts to pull itself up on the Crypt island, and begins to transform. It turns from a wolf into a half wolf/half human and climbs up the island. The werewolf attacks Tybarodite and knocks him over as the rest of the family keep attacking. Tyrabarodite is knocked unconscious as the werewolf is over him clawing and biting.

The group finally kill the werewolf. Stephan prevents the wolf body from slipping in the water. Stephan calls out to cut it's head off, fearful that it will regenerate. There Sheriff and his men cut off the Werewolf's Head. Stephan tries to bind Tyrabarodite's wounds, but that is beyond him. One of the 2 guards manages to bandage Tybarodite and stabilise him at -3 HP.

Once the Werewolf's Head is cut off, the body and head transform into that of a human woman matching Beatrice's description. The Sheriff and the 2 townguards take care of Beatrice's body. Stefan takes Tybarodite back to the estate. Luther goes back for Ginger and finds someone standing over her. The stranger spots Luther and flees away north. Luther gives chase to the northern market, but has lost track of the stranger. Luther returns to Ginger, and finds nothing was taken.

Eventually everyone is back at the Luther Estate. Ginger and Tybarodite is still unconscious in their beds. The rest of the family have a meeting, worried about Tybarodite turning into a werewolf after being bitten. Uncle Joseph has no historical knowledge how to cure Tybarodite. Luther suggests Wolfsbane, but it can only be found in the Blackthorn Forest. They worry if they don't cure Tybarodite by tomorrow night, it will be too late.

Stefan & Luther decide to head for the Blackthorn Forest. Before leaving, Stefan apologises to the unconscious Tybarodite for how he has been treating him.

Stefan & Luther leave Waadsworth by the south gate and head into the Forest to the west. It is a full-moon, but the canopy overhead is thick. After some time walking, Luther hears a humanoid somewhere in the dark. The two brothers back off and avoid whatever it was.

After 12 hours of searching, just at dawn, Luther spots some Wolfsbane on the ground. The two travel back to Waadsworth.

By the time Stefan & Luther get back to the estate, Ginger has woken up. Luther prepares the wolfsbane, but knows it is a poison, so could hurt him worse or even kill him entirely. Luther talks with the family about the dosage he should give Tybarodite. Witches in the old days could cure lycanthropy, but they aren't around anymore, and were probably the cause of lycanthropy in the first place.

Luther goes to Sheriff Bruce to borrow some chains or shackles to hold Tybarodite incase the cure doesn't work. Luther won't tell the Sheriff the reason, so Sheriff Bruce won't lend them out. In the streets outside the town is celebrating the defeat of the werewolf.

Luther in the end gives Tybarodite a 3/4 of what he thinks would be a lethal dose of Wolfsbane. Tybarodite however dies from the dosage.

### Thursday, 17th November, 56 AoS

The Funeral for Tybarodite takes place in the Crypts in Waadsworth as a full member of the Thorne family. Stefan is the last to leave, and mornfully cries about how he had hated Tybarodite his whole life, but only at the end he cared.

Later in the day is Zayne Bluebeard's Execution. The pyre is in the Central Market. The Central Market is full of onlookers as Zayne s burnt to death at the Countess Lorwind's order.

Countess Lorwind gives a quiet thank you for what the family had done, and a sorry for their loss, on the way to her estate in town.

## Experience

700 exp each

* Luther levels up to level 2
	+ Max HP increased from 1 to 7