Kingmaker: Ep. 34

The Owlbear Adventurers returned to the village of Labrad, intent on hunting the werewolf they believed was responsible for recent deaths. After disrupting the local tavern with their boisterous arrival, they met Feihana, a cleric of Eri fascinated by local herbology. She joined them on their quest, intrigued by tales of rare Moonberries that grew in the very patch where a woman was slain. As night fell under a full moon, the party set out.

In the moonlit clearing, amidst bushes laden with glimmering white berries, they encountered a woman named Suzanne picking berries. She nervously tried to convince them to leave, which only deepened their suspicions. Shortly after she fled, a massive black wolf and three smaller gray wolves emerged from the forest. The black wolf spoke, warning them to leave before attacking.

A desperate battle erupted. The wolves swarmed the party, downing Donna and Click-Tick in rapid succession as their summoned creatures were torn apart. The adventurers scrambled up trees for safety, with Frank Lee and Yohei finding a perch while Feihana, who had been gathering berries, bravely rushed to heal Click-Tick on the ground. After a chaotic struggle, the party killed two of the smaller wolves, prompting the large black wolf and the last of its pack to retreat into the darkness.

The aftermath brought a grim discovery: the slain wolves were not beasts, but humans wearing enchanted wolf pelts. On the inside of the hides, Yohei identified diabolical prayers to Ithiqua, a cannibal god. Armed with this proof, they returned to Labrad, woke the sheriff, Corrin, at dawn, and showed him the pelts. After leading him to the bodies for a pyre, they met Suzanne again. She confessed the large black wolf was her husband, Nigel, cursed by a forest spirit. Begging for his life, she guided them to him, and the party agreed to seek a cure. They escorted Nigel to an old druid at the Temple of the Elk, leaving him in the druid’s care as they prepared to hunt the malevolent spirit that started it all.

OUTLINE:

Return to Labrad and a Tense Alliance

The party arrived in Labrad to hunt a suspected werewolf.
They caused a commotion in the local tavern, annoying the townsfolk.
They met Feihana, a human cleric, who joined their expedition.
The group planned to stake out the Moonberry patch on the full moon.

Ambush in the Moonberry Patch

The party arrived at the clearing and found the magical Moonberries.
They encountered a woman named Suzanne who tried to make them leave.
After she fled, a large black wolf and three smaller wolves attacked the party.
The black wolf spoke, warning the adventurers to leave.

A Desperate Battle for Survival

The wolf pack quickly overwhelmed the party, knocking out Donna and Click-Tick.
The surviving party members scrambled up trees to gain a tactical advantage.
Feihana healed Click-Tick, bringing him back into the fight.
The party killed two of the smaller wolves, forcing the black wolf and the last remaining wolf to flee.

A Grisly Discovery

The party discovered the dead wolves were actually humans wearing enchanted wolf pelts.
Yohei identified diabolic sigils inside the pelts as prayers to Ithiqua, a cannibal god.
They returned to Labrad, woke the sheriff Corrin, and showed him the pelts.
Corrin accompanied them back to the site, where they built a pyre and burned the bodies.

A Plea for a Cure

The party encountered Suzanne again, who revealed the black wolf was her husband, Nigel.
Nigel was cursed by a powerful spirit in the woods.
The party agreed to help and escorted Nigel to the Temple of the Elk.
An old druid agreed to attempt to cure Nigel, who described the stag-headed spirit that cursed him.

NPCs:

Corrin: The sheriff of Labrad. Initially weary and annoyed by the adventurers, he takes their claims seriously after seeing the enchanted wolf pelts. He helps the party burn the bodies of the skinwalkers.
Ithiqua’s Spirit: A powerful and malevolent spirit of the forest that serves the cannibal god Ithiqua. It appears as a tall, puppet-like creature with a stag’s skull for a head and gives hunters the ‘gift’ of lycanthropy.
Nigel: Suzanne’s husband, a hunter who was ‘gifted’ with the ability to turn into a large black wolf by a forest spirit. He loses control during the full moon and becomes a dangerous beast, but is a remorseful family man otherwise.
Old Druid: The caretaker of the Temple of the Elk and an old acquaintance of Yohei. He is a wise and capable magic-user who agrees to help cure Nigel of his lycanthropic curse.
Suzanne: A villager from Labrad and the wife of Nigel. She initially tried to protect her husband by warning the adventurers away, but eventually confessed his affliction and begged for their help in curing him. She is caring for her own children as well as several orphans.

ITEMS:

Moonberries: Pale, whitish-blue berries that glitter in the moonlight. They are incredibly delicious and seem to have a calming effect.
Skinwalker Wolf Pelts: The pelts of wolves that are actually enchanted cloaks. The inside of each is marked with diabolic prayers to the cannibal god Ithiqua.
Soul Lantern: Yohei’s lantern, which appears as a shrunken, leathery head. It consumes the soul of a recently deceased creature to produce light for an hour.

LOCATIONS:

Labrad: A small village of a few hundred people located in the Gnarlewood. It has a tavern, a sheriff, and a weary populace that has a love-hate relationship with the chaotic adventurers who operate out of a nearby fort.
Temple of the Elk: An old stone temple dedicated to an elk god, featuring a 40-foot-tall statue of an elk. It is tended to by a lone, friendly druid.
The Moonberry Patch: A large, open glade on a hillside near Labrad. It is known for its delicious Moonberries, which are best picked under the full moon. It has recently become the site of several violent deaths and a battle with skinwalkers.
The Werewolf Thicket: A deep, dense thicket of blackberry brambles where the skinwalkers have made their lair. The entrance is a small hole surrounded by the bones of animals.

FACTIONS:

Cult of Ithiqua: A group of skinwalkers who worship Ithiqua, the cannibal god. They disguise themselves as wolves and seem to be growing in number, preying on those near Labrad.

QUESTS:

Cure for a Curse: Escort Nigel, a man afflicted with lycanthropy, to the Temple of the Elk and ensure the Old Druid can cure him.
Hunt the Forest Spirit: Find and defeat the malevolent, stag-headed spirit in the Gnarlewood that is responsible for creating the skinwalkers.
The Werewolves of Labrad: Investigate the recent deaths outside the village of Labrad and put a stop to the creature responsible.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Click-Tick: A Wei Yang summoner from the Plane of Shadows. Click-Tick is a short, stubby creature who commands a powerful eidolon that appears as a dire wolf shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. He seems to be the most financially troubled of the group.
Donna: A Silph Summoner, appearing as a lady in a dress. Donna’s eidolon, Bertolo, is a formidable creature reminiscent of a flaming, tentacled being. She is connected to her eidolon to such a degree that when it is defeated, she falls unconscious as well.
Feihana: A human cleric of Eri, the god of air and weather. Feihana is new to the area, drawn by the unique flora of the forests. She appears somewhat grimy and unkempt, carrying a sickle and a satchel of herbs, but possesses a kind heart and powerful healing magic.
Frank Lee: A human Karate Man who takes his martial arts very seriously. Dressed in a grimy white gi with a yellow belt, Frank Lee is direct and confident, often proposing bold, if not always well-thought-out, plans. He firmly believed the culprit was a werewolf and felt vindicated when he was proven correct.
Yohei: A Kitsune Gunslinger and the longest-surviving member of the original adventuring party. Yohei is the wise old hand of the group, often acting as the voice of reason and the one to handle delicate social interactions. He carries a unique lantern made from a shrunken head that consumes souls for light.