Langston This is my attempt to chronicle the adventures of Blovo during his brief time in Langston (“The wolves of Langston”), based on some notes taken at that time. this chronicle contains a combination of short notes with names, impressions and actions, as well as portions of a bit more elaborate retelling which I, as chronicler, put together trying to compose some sort of narrative. in time, everything might be rearranged in this last format, but for now some parts would appear as written by Blovo (his thoughts or what he said), while some might be written by me, the chronicler. interpersed in the text, there would be notes about decision points (denoted by p), the outcome of chance checks (denoted by (roll)) and some editor/chronicler notes (denoted by [note]) chapter 1 the day is nearing its end and Blovo is on the road. he is approaching the city of Langston, the night closing in, when he hears some howling in the distance, getting closer. p0 - p23 - p40 wolves appear in the forest and Blovo runs to get to the gates of Langston, sprinting along the road while chased by wolves. :: [it all started 2023-09-30] a dwarf (dressed like Blovo imagines a druid would do). he shoos them away. p4 he is called Roi Sunderhammer and suggests getting to the inn. p1 Blovo goes into Langston, which seems to be empty. or at least its marketplace and streets are. he can only see someone who seems to be a sun cleric. he decides to call them out. p27 it is indeed a young sun cleric, getting ready for the last rites of a young woman. instead of following in, Blovo first looks through the window. p19 a packed room, and a barmaid invites Blovo in. the name of the deceased is Maybelline, her funeral is indeed held at The Pickled Hen and the Mayor of the town is interested in talking to travellers or adventurers (which is what Blovo is). p34 a drunk confronts me, and a half-orc with a stylish suit is watching (I imagine it is the mayor). Blovo tries to intimidate the drunk p20 I don’t mind finishing fights, but Blovo doesn’t seem threatening enough and p36 Tanya (also known as Mayor Anathram), the female half-orc, stops the drunk from starting the fight. he leaves. p44 - p28 the funeral begins (and the Mayor wants to talk once it finishes). the parents are the first to talk. then, the fiancé (Tomlin) speaks. p32 it looks like his nickname is “The Wolf”. that, on its own, is suspicious to Blovo. there is something wrong about all of this, maybe HE is a newcomer in the village. or just a womaniser, perhaps? something is very odd here. Blovo tries to use his insight (this is not the place nor moment to investigate, specially with him being a new face himself). p46 - p29 yes, I have a feeling that Tomlin is some kind of Don Juan and everyone in town knows that, or at least all women do. it looks like Roi is about to talk now. p13 Roi is the druid assigned to Langston. something weird happened with his beard when he sneezed, while creating flowers via a spell. Blovo tries to focus on the changes that took place. p14 - p42 if it were not impossible, I would say the druid was becoming a wolf? he might be a werewolf, or why would his appearance change like this for a second? it is also very strange that Tomlin’s nickname is The Wolf. the Sun cleric is going to talk now. p39 her name is Solaine. she looks like she changed as well, at least in the character. she looks more confident. p43 - p45 did she have an affair with Tomlin? Maybe that makes her stronger and more confident? p25 Tanya is talking now. she has a giant mastiff. she used to be a soldier. she is it going to talk to me now. and she comes with the dog. p6 Blovo focuses on the dog, just in case it is a danger. p22 it is definitely a military dog p30 after some talk, the Mayor hires Blovo as an investigator. the town pays for a room at the inn and so he will retire for the night. time for a long rest p26 :: [after roughly an hour playing. a bit less, as it is 2023-09-30 11:39 now] I woke up refreshed. after I got my breakfast, headed towards the town hall and I am now in front of the Mayor, who is with her dog. as much as I care for animals, this dog is a military dog and I recognise that a battle dog is not the kind of dog eager to be petted. Blovo greets the mayor. p21 she says the girl looked like she was attacked by a beast, but she was found within town, not on the outskirts or the woods. and Roi is meant to take care of keeping the woods in check (free from monsters or hazards). she is offering 320gp to take care of the threat. I don’t need the money, and I’m on my way to my family, but that poor girl… it doesn’t seem natural. it is not as if she was mauled by wolves out of carelessness. something needs to be done. p48 Tomlin was an herbalist, as it seemed (he talked about flowers before). he lives in the western part of town. thanks to the Mayor, I get access to the general store now. I’m not going right now, but whenever I’m in town I can, nice Blovo got an advance of 20 gp, and now he is heading to Tomlin’s. p49 :: [from this point, it will be told from Blovo’s point of view, as he took lots of notes] \page chapter 2 I see the drunk from last night again, people seem embarrassed. good. his attitude doesn’t seem to be a common feeling in the town. good p84 I get to Tomlin’s cottage and decide to take a look around. He might not be a suspect (not to the villagers), but there is something fishy about the guy. plus he might not be in. p77 yep, he was hooking up with another woman already. not judgement (I don’t know him), but it doesn’t match his speech from last night. and he is acting ashamed, so he thinks he needs to pretend and knows it looks bad. none of my business, no moral judgement here. p95 silence. we say nothing, he invites me in. I get in to the cottage. p69 he offers some tea, I do not drink tea (I don’t like tea), but want to check it out. p54 let’s use what I know about nature. p97 (used one inspiration but got a 11) no clue. p50 let’s refuse the tea (it might be poisoned or not, who knows, but I don’t like tea). p86 he doesn’t have a problem with it, just drinks his. p80 he tells me a sudden love found story, somehow rushed, but it fits. has he seen anything strange? p62 the wolves have been more active (or at least loud) in the last couple of months. there are also some strangers camped near Emmitt and Tilly’s farm. it looks like Roi also sleeps outside, it seems (which make sense for a druid). there are also complains about thefts from villagers. I also ask where he was the night of the death. p101 he kind of gets angry, but quickly seems ashamed and reveals he was with friends, at the tavern. a bit of a crazy night. let me investigate and ask a few more questions about that night p83 something is missing… wait, where was Maybelline? p104 he recalls it was a full moon and she didn’t go out, because she was superstitious. Tomlin was meeting a childhood friend with some marital issues. was it really just him and friends in the tavern? p74 ah, Solaine was also there. Tomlin and her were lovers before her pilgrimage. but, while she was away, Maybelline and him fell in love. Solaine was not happy (to be expected), but Tomlin thinks she came around. in fact, she would have performed the wedding (it was either her or Roi). Roi was also there, and he left when he started sneezing and coughing. the kind of fit that he had during the funeral… did Maybelline have any enemies (that he knows)? p56 Tomlin says no, but… let me dig deeper. let’s persuade him [this time using the d20, not the d12 as when testing the tea… :/] (because this is important, used inspiration) p85 not enemies, he confesses, but there were conflicts. she argued with Mayor Anathram, and Maybelline never argued that he knows. really out of character. also, well, Solaine shut herself in the tower for a while, clearly hurt. there were no discussions that he knows. and he didn’t speak to Solaine much then. ok, let’s wrap this convo. p62 - p105 just before leaving he mentions some damage on the garden at night, clawed prints in the soil. I’ll check the garden. p78 umm… let’s check the trellis of the plot p81 some plants are pretty damaged. the plot is well taken care of. well trodden. I’m looking closer (used inspiration, but it was not needed) p75 are two attacking us? I wasn’t expecting that. p64 these are two scraplings. small humanoid, seemly made out of dry wood. I engage in fight to death with one of them (Tomlin is taking care of the other one). the scrapling is faster, he attacks (12 is less than my armour class (AC)). it misses me with its claws. I draw one of my short swords and take a swing at the creature (14, equal to AC). I manage to hit and (6 + 3) kill the thing. :: [Blovo played in his head/dice if he could kill the second, even though Tomlin is engaging with it. Even more “imaginarily” he would have drawn the second short sword, there would have been a round of missing hits for both, and on the third overall round, with initiative, he would have struck it down. BUT does is imagination, in reality Tomlin was taking care of it.] after dealing the final blow p88, I sheath the swords and take as a souvenir the scrapling claw that Tomlin offers to me. that was a plant creature, maybe Roi knows about them. Evening is approaching. I’m about to leave for the inn, but Tomlin wants me to follow him inside again. p72 he gives mea vial containing philtre of remembrance (10 doses). p106 I make my way back to the inn. I get a meal, and get ready for a long (and well deserved) rest. p93 I wake up with moonlight. it got interrupted (just a short reset). there is some hairy and hunched shape on a neighbouring roof. it is extending an arm in my direction, as if waiting. I call out to the creature, might be Roi in some weird beast shape. p79 golden yellow glints on the eyes, the creature snarls “He’s mine!” WTF? it disappears. I go out to investigate, and will get my short sword in my hand as soon as I am out. p87 can I climb the wall? I sheath my sword. (failed roll) p59 no way I can climb that, better go back and stay to keep watch. p55 not much rest (another short rest), and at some point it starts to rain. that would probably erase all traces. there is some noise outside my door. p107 a cold breakfast, and empty common room, and quiet streets. the wagon with flowers from the funeral is still outside. I should now go to talk to the druid. p108 :: [chapter 2 represents about one hour of play] \page chapter 3 this is a very quiet wood. beautiful and peaceful, but eerily quiet. p122 I stop in a clearing to drink some water. let’s look around, trying to use the experience I have from being in forests (7 + 4 x 2, due to Blovo’s favoured terrain,… but I then realised it should have been 7 + 2 + 4 because only the proficiency bonus gets doubled. I will allow this once, but now I know better) p155 there is a beast there. a stirge, of course. let’s fight a bit! 1st, I quickly take my bow and attack right before it turns to see me. p144 my first arrow hits, doing 8 damage and finishing the haggard stirge while it was turning towards me. p138 I take a brief rest and the woods stay as quiet as before. nothing has changed. I keep going to the druid’s camp. p150 when I get there, I found what looks like a cottage with almost no walls. just some simple furniture around. hold on, there is some kind of wolf in this grove. I bet this is the druid. I just walk confidently into the grove. p156 the wolf gets into view, defensive, but not aggressive, I think. there is something red on its muzzle. looks like blood. I approach it peacefully. p110 it looks confused (I think he was trying to intimidate me a bit), I just talk to it normally, IN DWARVISH because I’m pretty sure it is Roi and I’m a dwarf. p134 yes, it can understand me. but it doesn’t transform back. instead, he goes into the cabin and comes back with a wooden druid symbol. yep, this is the druid indeed. p158 “why don’t you revert back? let’s talk, Roi.” he shakes his head. motions me to follow (I can tell by the way he moves and waits). inside his dwelling everything is quite sloppy and disarrayed. he points with his snout towards some scrolls. I go through them, and he puts his paw on one, “Doppleganger’s Curse”, aka Polypox. I read it carefully. ah, he is not a werewolf then, but suffers from some disease which impairs his control of the changing process. he might even get amnesia. there is a recipe for a cure (with wolfsbane, sage and hornwort). I can get the herbs from Tomlin or from around. “are you sure it is polypox?” p113 yep, he is. let me search around for the herbs, we are in the forest. p146 I am looking for sage. p125 Roi is helping. (no need to double proficiency from the favoured terrain) p109 success! now let’s find some hornwort. p120 there is a shallow pond. I search with help from Roi. p131 success! now wolfsbane. p133 Roi helped again, and I have lived in the woods for days at a time, so I now my way around (kind of). p154 so I collect some wolfsbane, very carefully to avoid the toxins the plant might release. Roi darts to his grove. p140 I brew some tea from the ingredients, and pour it into a bowl. Roi laps his medicine. he lies down while I wait with him, comfortable on the ground. once he reverts his form, he tells me the disease was apparently passed via the stirge by somebody, some other shapeshifter or a werewolf. he gifts me with his brooch, the Silverstar. it was a gift from Solaine’s predecessor, a cleric. now Roi needs to rest, but I’ll ask a couple of questions first. let’s start with the scrapling claw. p163 not the killer he assures me. (I didn’t think so). but he transforms it into a +1 club for a week. “before I leave, just a quick question: when did you get sick?” p135 he started sniffling around the new moon, he says. the sneezing and changing started a couple of weeks later. Maybelline died on a full moon. hummm Roi doesn’t think he suffers amnesia, and he wasn’t sneezing during the full moon, apparently. today was the first uncontrollable change. he laughs off the hint of a suspicion. polypox is bloodborne, he is pretty sure it was the stirge (me too, he seems sincere), not from a werewolf as he didn’t fight any. werewolves can get polypox, or just be carriers. “Well, Roi, thanks. take care.” p124 I get back and eat, have some bad dreams about being attacked by rosebushes or running around on all fours. also dreamt of the shape from last night. I wake up startled (how not?). I don’t see anything outside the window right now, but… I’ll try to keep watch, almost forgot about the shape from last night. p160 nothing happened, just that the rest was not as good as I would have needed [short rest]. the sun rises and there is a knock at the door. p128 it is the innkeeper, bringing in a hot breakfast. Solaine has been asking for me, both last night and this morning. will I visit her? she asked for me to go to the temple. she thinks she can help. oh, is this a note from the mayor? “thanks,”. I eat and read. p164 there is a new lead. I’m commanded to go to the town hall. I’m not sure that I like being commanded, and I’m spending too long here instead of looking into my origins while on my trip back to the Ephenbald farm, but… ah, hell, I also wanted more experiences. p165 :: [that was 1 hour, more or less] \page chapter 4 it seems almost a normal day in the village, but not really, p193 the mayor says I should go and check the strangers living outside town (I think she refers to those). they make people uncomfortable, it seems. um… p212 I have the feeling they might not be related to the murder. but they might know something, and being outsiders might make them more impartial. ok, I’m not going to ask for more money from the mayor. I will consider this, in a way, part of the investigation. p232 ah! she calls them “bandits”, now for the first time. I don’t think that’s what they are either. ok. let’s check them out anyway. it is back to the forest trails for me. p176 I am going through a normal forest this time. it seems calm and peaceful. p215 I get to a clearing with a dryad and a robin. I heard about this creature before, but didn’t meet any yet. I’m not going to attack. I should sneak past, that is none of my business right now. p203 [p198 is errata of the edition I used, but also from 1.7. it should be p203 which involves a check] I try to go without disturbing her, stealthy. but, I fail. p230 [p198 is errata (as it is for a SUCCESSFUL roll, so…) of the edition I used, but also from 1.7. the sections are reversed. p230 it is] I step on a dry twig and then a pile of dried leaves. clearly not my day to be quiet. the dryad reacts as if about to attack, but hesitates, a spell at the ready. let’s talk. p200 she speaks broken Common. do I know Sylvan? I think I don’t, not even a glimpse of it. argh. p177 it would have to do. *“strings grab friends”, she says. is she referring to nets? lassos? definitely hunting traps of some sort. I say I will try to help. I’m a ranger anyway, and protecting nature is my thing. she gives me a potion of barkskin (a toughener of sorts). it seems the camp is empty for now (the strangers/bandits are gone for a while). I ask for directions. p195 she guides me, graceful and quiet, to an entrance point into another clearing. a firepit with rubbish from meals, charred bones and old porridge. not a lush clearing. these are hunters, and probably poachers. p182 there is no kindling around for tonight, it seems. also, something is kept outside of animals reach, hanging from a tree. but other than that is like a trashy bivouac spot. I investigate thoroughly, inspired by the forest. (due to the advantage, I rolled twice and got a natural crit the second roll) what I see: p207 a warrant made out to Horace and Titch of hundreds of gp (if information is provided) or thousands (if captured dead or alive) for the Wolf of the Road, who also has an Orcish name (pretty obvious it is Orcish, even if I cannot understand the language). they are wanted for killing a constable in Three Rivers. I will take this with me. I guess the bandits/strangers are these individuals named “Horace” and “Titch”. the gear around is tattered and in disrepair. on a second oilcloth I find an agate brooch (15gp) and a flimsy jewelled dagger (5gp). p183 the night is coming. days are short here, damn! I get to town with the sun already set, the stars starting to shine. :: [a letter from/to Emmitt is mentioned in the edition I used (1.3), but I don’t have any and a quick search doesn’t seem to mention any either. um… that version is clearly wrong. I think it was referring to the warrant, as it appears in version 1.7] the mayor received some sealed message. she is not at the town hall. I get the address to her house. cool. p206 two figures (Horace and Titch, I guess) are waiting by the entrance when the mayor comes. do I read some tension? they greet each other, not in a very friendly manner. but the group goes into the house together, with Horace first, and Titch last. light illuminates the window, the door is shut. I get closer. p197 there is a small and neglected garden, a building made out of stones and timber. angrily raised voices come from inside. I keep listening. p188 they are shouting, the guard dog barks. p229 they are angry, but I cannot tell anything else. I’ll knock. p205 conversation goes silent. the mayor inquires who is there. “who? me, is everything ok?” further silence, the mayor opens the door. she seems courteous now. wtf, I don’t get it. I step in. the lean bandit has a dagger at her back? oh, my… the mayor seems to ignore the guy completely. what is going on? am I a hostage? the mayor gestures me to comply. ok, but… p209 this is not a hostage situation, but the “bandits” are menacing somehow. mayor and dog are furious but they restrain themselves. I introduce myself and what I am doing. the bandits hint at… the mayor or one of them knowing more about the killing? perhaps due to a revealed secret? oh, shit! p192 so, these guys (yes, they introduce themselves as Horace and Titch) tell me the mayor is the Wolf of the Road. they have a poster linked to the warrant I have. I make public what I know: it makes no sense threatening the mayor/us with reinforcements or their party (because there is none). and there is no additional proof. their gambit didn’t work, the mayor is clearly going to retaliate, I guess. I threaten them myself. just want them to go away and sort this out with the mayor, without any spilling of blood. p199 but, I cannot intimidate them. so p228 it is fighting time. p178 \page I take on Titch, while the mayor and Buttercup engage Horace. Titch tries to swing at me with a dagger. and hits, a bit more than a glance (4 HP). I draw my shortsword and hit Titch square on (8 HP). nice, this will end soon. Titch hits again (4 HP). but now I have my two shortswords out. He dodges my first strike, but the second one hits fully, (6 HP). My part is done. p184 I don’t kill Titch, who begs for mercy. the Mayor stops the fight. Horace surrenders, dropping his knife. the Mayor has the weapon at the ready, but doesn’t want more fighting. it might be true that she was this killer before, but her ways changed. I choose to believe this. and I choose to let the bandit live, the poor bastard. p231 I tell them to leave. hold on, did the stupid guy named Horace threaten me AFTER I let his friend live? such a stupid guy. anyway, they leave. p191 I give what I found to the Mayor. I would expect an explanation but don’t ask for one. I am on her good side now, though. she says she did not kill the constable. he was alive when she escaped with Buttercup. so, the truth is she was the leader of a band of bandits, a bandit crew. and Wolf of the Road was her name, they operated around Three Rivers. a life of crime after not fitting within orc nor human societies, after being a warrior. one day, Horace and Titch broke into the home of a resistance leader (the constable mentioned in the warrant), to threaten him about making life easier for the bandits, but overdid it and beat him to death. the Mayor didn’t want to feel responsible for further deaths, and so she escaped. she planned all this by making the bandits raid an invading force, so that she could disappear in the ensuing chaos. the town of Langston assumed she was a war veteran. she didn’t correct them. just kept the lie about it. Maybelline had found out, probably from Horace or Titch making noise. the mayor though there was redemption to be achieved, or that at least she was not a murderer anymore. biut that was not what Maybelline thought. p221 that’s what they argued about (I believe her). and Mayor Anathram is really sad about her death (and her failure to protect the town). she is wishing for the resolution of the crime. she is also grateful to me, and offers me something. I ask for something to be able to protect myself better. p172 she gives me the amulet she was wearing around her neck, a Lesser Amulet of the Beast. p222 the mayor throws the papers linked to her past into the fire, but they fall away. “that past should disappear in ashes.” I showed them back into the fire. p211 her secret is safe. Buttercup is licking my palm. I’ll earn this dog trust bit by bit. I go back to the inn, as I need some proper rest. p202 completely empty streets, a single long and low howl. a tray of already cold dinner in my belly, I am going to bed with a faint howl in the distance. p236 :: [1h30’ of play, and there will be a long rest, but is time to go to bed IRL] :: [7 hours later, at 5:30 AM] but before going to bed I study the amulet and the silverstar, reflecting on both the fight from tonight and the druid sickness. this allows me to attune to both items. and then I finally go to bed, having a good and relaxing night and recovering fully. the next day, breakfast is ready by the door, as well as a note of gratitude from the mayor. the burial will be tomorrow, so I better go to the temple to inspect the body. and talk to Solaine, which is well overdue. p237 \page chapter 5 the sun temple is old, a limestone building seemingly predating the town. I got in, but there is nobody around. I’ll explore it. p296 from the central hall I head towards the dining hall. they might be having breakfast. p267 let’s explore the dining room further. p277 nothing. the kitchen perhaps? p280 there is a single setting of cutlery and plates. is Solaine the only person here? the kitchen is windowless, the dining room has 5 tables with 8 seats each, so definitely sized for more people. the stove is not used very much (it is rusty), but there is ash around the door of the hearth. umm p244 there is some fabric or clothing charred remains. let’s examine those. p269 - p255 these are burned holy vestments. they were not in good condition even before burning. the seams were burst, and… does one cuff have blood droplets? it crumbles to touch. what is there in the larder? p310 just forgotten food: veggies, potatoes, bread. moldy and wilted. but fresh meat, plenty of it. with… what looks like small and ragged bite marks. do I “smell” werewolf? back to the front hall p296, and up north towards the library. p258 it is pretty large, with books and scrolls on one table. nobody in. religious texts and some history tomes. some treaty about common curses. there is also a black book with a title (not in Common), bound with skin other than a leather. and a metal lock, open. let’s check the book on curses. p281 it is the “Compendium of Curses: 17th Edition”, with descriptions of curses, diagrams of wards and sections with cures. what was the cleric reading about? p288 on a page with “Lwelyn’s grim visage” and “lycanthropy”, there is a sheet with a note. the calligraphy is elegant, but some words are crossed out and there are small marks of… perhaps tears. ah, it seems to be a letter to Tomlin, I believe. “a truly changed woman" writes it, with mentions of a darkness blooming. it is unfinished. I leave the letter where it is. p279 what about the black book? p314 bound with sharkskin? it has brimstone smell and oily touch. I don’t think I can understand this book. p249 I see images of a black sun, weapons, sharp tools, study of corpses or bones. there is a note (“This one”) on an entry with images of animated corpses?. I go back, first to the hall p296 to access the living quarters. p245 13 rooms, 6 on each side, plus 1 at the end. only that one (on the far end) is closed. it is a skylit hall, the morning sunshine being let in. a bit dusty. let’s check the area (I’m investigating, of course). p240 - p287 I do not really see anything. so I knock. p253 nothing. let’s just open the door and walk in. p302 not empty, but sparsely furnished. I’ll check the bed and the adjacent table. p311 quite neat. I do not think it was used recently. there is also an envelope, opened many times already. I will check this, of course. p242 A love letter, title “A Thyme for Love in the Sun”, by Tomlin. addressed to Solaine, it is a very bad poem. I return it and look inside the wardrobe. p275 some religious vestments, one very repaired (very recently). I can seem some gap between it and the wall. let’s check it, p299 even though I’m weak in general, it looks like I’m strong enough to push the closet aside. perhaps because of the very good rest from last night. p238 I manage to retrieve a ribbon from behind the furniture. p247 a lavender strip of silk. bloodstained. lavender was a favourite of Maybelline. now I go back to the hall. p296 and wait for Solaine. p270 but waiting is so dumb. let’s better check the… golden floor mosaic. p243 um… there are no tiles. it looks like a single stone (or made by some magical process). there is some indentation on the central holy symbol. gnome hand size, in the shape of a smaller sunburst. umm. p241 I investigate. p283 no clue what this could be about. let’s press on it. p303 ups, some magic build up. I manage to dodge the light, but it feels like it could have hurt a bit. the seam disappears, it looks like something got back into place, the opening is hidden now. oh, my! let’s look at the tapestries. p290 they depict the holy order raising the temple and banishing the undead. darkness and the undead devouring people, holy figures appearing, a ring formation and light striking, a ring of green plants and blue skies. with a band of black earth and floating dark red eyes. waiting. does it remind me of anything? p309 p257 thre is this ancient order of sun worshippers. a century or tens of centuries ago, they erected this tower. while the order has a presence there (even just one individual) and dedication to the light, the area is protected. I do not remember more, and I have investigated enough. I’ll just have to wait longer for Solaine. p294 she finally returns to the temple. hem of the robe black, apparently from soil. I see some soil clumps falling off her slippers. I startled her. p268 she is alone here, perhaps overwhelmed but acting as if everything is ok. big smiles. what does she know about the undead? p248 a about Tomlin? p315 ok, apparently it is all common knowledge. she doesn’t hide the story of her past. I would now like to examine Maybelline’s body. p289 she says I cannot. why? p295 - p254 Solaine seems afraid. I am not sure what of. she says it is out of concern about the family, not fear. sure, but I should be able to examine the body regardless. she points me to the cemetery, and the altar where the body is. p293 I go alone to the cemetery, entering from the north. it is a bright day. the mausoleum is in the centre of the graveyard. uh-oh, I see a grave with some black earth, but not dug up? some undead? let’s check, I do not want to risk a surprise while investigating. p264 it was dug from underneath. a person dead for decades. a crack in their skull and a broken piece of a paving stone half-buried in the dark soil (the unusually dark soil). seems to have been thrown there. \page let’s just check Maybelline’s body (what a morning). p276 oh, Maybelline is reanimated somehow, I will have to fight her. p286 I’m faster, so I move back within the mausoleum and take my bow, readying an arrow. (9 HP). I move further to put some distance between us, making her come out. she stagers, I am sure I’m faster. she approaches and remains 5 feet away. I now do the same thing again, putting distance in between and sending an arrow her way. she is pretty weak now, it seems. comes near me, still not within reach to attack me. I drop the bow and get a sword out, ready for the next attack. but there is a burst of movement, and she gets next to me, slamming me. ups, that hurt! I swing my sword (2 HP to go). I take my second sword out, attack. and the fight finishes. p297 for a second it looks like that last blow might didn’t really do it, but after some last death rattle (undeath rattle?) she drops dead. again? p246 look at that, I can finally examine the body. will try to isolate the wounds previous to this fight. p262 but first I recover my bow and one arrow. the other one broke. the previous wounds seem inflicted by a wild animal. broad and deep claw marks. not very forest beast like. a rage driven attack based on the patterns and the random look. I look at the bouquet of pink flowers she dropped. p307 these are the only flowers I see around, in the mausoleum. they have a tag signed by Tomlin. mainly daisies and the pink flowers. p250 when I go back, Solaine is still there. I think she has doubts about her faith, and she is just not paying any attention to me. I need to interrupt her, p306 she frightened. we agree that, I’ll tell the mayor. to me, Solaine is not a member of the order any more. or not a dedicated one. but… well, I leave. she goes back to the library. p252 the mayor is surprised by the news, and she orders the militia to patrol the streets at night. I’ll go on patrol, as well. but I take a short rest before that, to recover from the fight. and then I am ready to go. p301 my patrol finds no zombies nor ghouls. but two body remains, torn apart it seems, with the same kind of wounds that Maybelline had. I come back in the wee hours, and fall asleep. there is no food at the door this morning. instead, the mayor is having breakfast while waiting for me in the common area. p317 \page chapter 6 I should be ready for an accusation. although I’m not entirely sure. I may need more information. I think Solaine is the murderer, but I don’t have an unequivocal proof. p334 I get to the town square and everything seems expectant. a document is being read by the mayor’s aide. there are lots of common folk around, and also the main characters I talked to these days. it’s a bit of a tough decision, and I hate accusing anyone without a full proof. but I am convinced Solaine is affected by lycanthropy. and so, she killed without being a hundred percent conscious of her acts. therefore j’accuse Solaine. p341 I will use the silk ribbon as proof. p355 this is a bit of a gambit/bait because I assume Maybelline was wearing the ribbon, and it is a bit circumstantial (it could have got there by different means). Tomlin is upset and tries to attack her. he is stopped. she looks at Tomlin. I would say she is angry at the betrayal. it was caused by love, I think, not a plan gone awry. I have no more proof, so I rest my case. p340 two militia men approach her. she sounds defiant. all her kindness gone. she sounds aggressive, like going mad p320 and… yep! she just transformed into a werewolf. well, she is a werewolf and transformed into the beasty version. she takes down right there two militia men that were flanking her, and charges towards Tomlin. p329 people stampedes. because of people fleeing, I cannot jump straight into action, and she takes Tomlin through the crowd with one long claw, climbing the wall of a building. Solaine howls, and runs towards the temple. Roi thinks it’s a curse that can be cured. the medallion, the silverstar, might be helpful for this. I run to the temple. p360 I unsheath my shortsword and run as fast as I can. a scream. Tomlin is laying in a pool of blood. I got too late. Solaine definitely left a trail going into the temple. not panicking (and thinking she cannot leave without me knowing), I examine the murder scene. p342 [previous editions had p322 as errata] I check for clues about her capabilities and the threat she poses. I’m inspired by the last days of getting to know the town and this people. p347 these were angry blows, and precise with the intent to kill. but she may be remorseful. I go into the temple, now both swords at the ready. p324 when I get in, everything seems darker, more menacing (in comparison with my previous visit). there is a spiral staircase in the main hall. darkness takes the place of the sunburst mosaic. but the same kind of orbs for light as above are there. it looks like part of the original design. I advance carefully through the corridors. p363 Solaine is in werewolf form in the middle of a large chamber, whining. I think she regrets her action. (she stares at the blood on her claws) or perhaps being cursed, or failing the order vows. she sees me, and doesn’t move. “you shouldn’t be here”, she says. I think we can talk. better curing a curse than fighting. at least it is worth trying. I sheath one sword and keep the other one low. p328 at the very least this will buy me some time, or help solve some unanswered questions. “why did you kill Tomlin?” (let’s play the guilt card). p352 she felt used and betrayed, which is quite logic. I don’t think it is worth asking about Maybelline. but, what about the curse? p346 she was attacked by a wolf during her pilgrimage, more or less as I imagined. nobody thought about she suffering from a curse. she just appeared ill, with a fever. when she woke up covered in blood after a full moon night, she got scared and fled away. she feels really powerful now. and the sacred power is… gone? she clearly thinks so. she is getting pretty angry now. ah, damn it… a fight seems afoot. or… one more question about Maybelline, just to confirm the story I assumed as most probable. p339 Solaine says Maybelline was lying about herself, that she was very cruel in reality. that she mocked her for her faith. could Maybelline be in cahoots with a demon? or corrupted somehow by this darkness below Langston? anyway, I need to end this and go back to my trip home. let’s try to end this peacefully by removing the curse. p343 I offer the possibility of a surrender. she laughs and replies she expects nothing from the town other than being hanged. she is just a predator now. my sword is ready. p350 werewolves are immune to ordinary weapons, I heard. um… I’ll try to stun her with the potion and then use the silverstar. p353 I didn’t use any dose, so it should be easy to impact, also due to werewolves relying a lot on smell. (13 + 1 < 18, the second DC throw, the lowest of the two) p325 she should be stunned 2 rounds, apparently lost in memories of Tomlin, both happy and sad. now I’m in a good place for a fight. p350 and it is the perfect time to try using the silverstar. p364 there is no fight yet (is what I wanted to avoid). so I don’t need to jump through a wall of fangs and claws. I just leap forward anyway, making contact between Solaine and the Silverstar. magic comes out of the brooch into her form. we are lock in place, and a bunch of people pours into the chamber: Mayor Anathram, Roi and armed townspeople. I press harder, praying it works, Solaine still stunned. p358 Solaine jerks and howls. lighs sparkle. no longer stunned, she transforms into human, and the howl turns into a scream. she feels robbed, and collapses sobbing. the militia carries her off. p338 her eyes dart to mine with fire, and a sudden smile. I feel a chilling sensation. the Mayor, Roi and I leave slowly towards the surface. everybody is grateful. p332 \page the town is eager to get back to normality, washing the blood, sharing the news, talking brightly on a clear day (once again). they might not think too much about the undead. will they resurrect immediately? soon? in a few weeks? I accused Solaine directly. I think I did very well in my investigation. p369 I get a decent reward (350 gp) and feel I learnt quite a lot (600xp). I put the money on my backpack. and I get ready to talk to the Mayor. to me, there is still some unfinished business and I would love to get it sorted out before going back to the inn for some rest and departing the next day. I might even reflect on what I learnt, before going to bed. ah, also, nobody mentions the advance I was given, so I’m keeping those 20 gp as well. :: [that was a 1AM to 2AM last journey before some quick reading and sleeping for tomorrow IRL] \page epilogue I decided to stay at least 2 more days, to reflect on what happened and trace a plan forward for my journey. the town hall is paying for a couple more days if I go on patrol, as I explained to the Mayor what transpired from the conversation with Solaine and other information I gathered at the temple. I feel more knowledgeable and sturdy. (I level up) I can recover better, and take some time to practice my archery skills to depend less on swords or closer fighting (it was a close call at times, particularly when trying to use both swords). I got better at tracking, and I try to pull focus on a given creature for tracking and attack while on patrol. is this magic? did I gain some affinity with magic, and is that the way it works? I go on patrol and eat. I talk to the druid about this. is that how it was for him? I heard before of rangers with some magical or uncanny skills, but always assumed people meant just very good at tracking, or interacting with animals, things like that. Roi explains how to find magic in nature, and how to try and weave it, or modify the tapestry of it a bit to bend things in my own favour. he tells me about Goodberries, a very filling snack that strangely appears in your hand when manipulating nature magic properly. but I found out I can more directly mend wounds, both on me and on others. this proves useful during the patrols. [I retconned my spell choice from “Goodberry” to “Cure Wounds”] :: [to the epilogue!] p370 I’ve been on patrol several nights, looking for undead and facing them while attempts are made to reach The Radiant Order. is a tiring endeavour, but this town has good and worried people. all pull together to help the town while a new cleric comes. I should go and check for healing potions at Tomlin’s Cottage. p380 it is urgent, Roi cannot heal anymore for today and it is needed, as there is an injured militia member laying on top of a tavern table. the cottage is locked. I need to break in somehow. breaking a window should be simple enough. p377 clink! very precise, I managed to break it without cutting my arm with the shards. p386 very gloomy and getting musty. I use inspiration from worrying about the townsfolk, and… p396 everything in the cottage was very well labelled and ordered. I find some potions and a vial of antitoxin. there is also a magic garland with what look like fresh flowers (although they shouldn’t be, this garland must be some days old). it shimmers. I take it as well. I’ll go back to The Pickled Hen. p391 Solaine’s interrogation is not shedding new information. the potion I took does the trick and the woman becomes stable. I show the garland and the general agreement is that it was for the wedding, and that there is some magic involved (as I suspected). we are going to present it to Maybelline’s parents. p376 there is something weird going on with the parents. and it looks like there were 2 garlands. p374 Roi and I take a look around the kitchen, where we see nothing out of the ordinary except for a bunch of plants and herbs. they were in a hidden parcel behind the pantry. strange colours, and odd proportions. p393 these herbs are used in rituals to contact lower planes. I want to check the garden. p392 it is pretty neglected. no sign of the flowers from the garland. but I found a patch of dark soil, and buried there a parchment in Abyssal. I cannot read that. p385 there is also a lock of hair. we would need to question Solaine about both findings (if she is willing to talk). they are within her expertise. we go back to check Maybelline’s room. p381 there is another garland there. they seem to attract each other, as if there was some sort of enchantment. we are running an experiment. p378 it seems an ancient love spell. if the garlands touch the spell breaks. pretty ironic, or just twisted. p372 Roi becomes a poni! I’m riding a pony! well, the shapeshifted druid, back to town. back to the jailhouse. I have some questions for Solaine: p375 the garlands. she confirms what we suspected. p382 the hair. it is Tomlin’s hair. all points to an enchantment to either conquer him or break Solaine’s heart. she is angry and there are no more questions. p399 and now I rest for p389 second night of patrol. I see… a woman in the shadows, under the moonlight? is my mind playing games? let’s go back to the inn. p400 my unsolved mystery (the female figure in the dark, wearing simple clothes), might be the person that freed Solaine. this is somehow linked to a crescent moon, cold and ice. it is tempting to investigate, but I have spent enough time here. a new cleric is now in town and I can keep following my own path. {{wide}} {{wide}} {{wide References: game: D&D 5e 2014 adventure: The Wolves of Langston }}