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Winterborn
Chapter 28 - The Shrine of Malar, Part 2

Chapter 28 - The Shrine of Malar, Part 2

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WW3’s Claw attack (Huntress): 1d20+9 = 26 (Hit)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 5 (Slashing)

WW3’s Claw attack (Huntress): 1d20+9 = 29 (Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+9 = 28 (Crit)

Claw Damage: 2d4+6 = 13 (Slashing)

WW3’s Bite attack (Huntress): 1d20+5 = 19 (Miss)

Frostmane’s AoO (WW4): 1d20+12 = 29 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite damage: 1d8+19 = 20 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 5 (Cold) (Dead)

WW5’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 10 (Miss)

WW6’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 28 (Hit)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 6 (Slashing)

WW6’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 29 (Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+9 = 16 (Normal Hit)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 5 (Slashing)

WW6’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 10 (Miss)

WW7’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 21 (Miss)

WW7’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 25 (Miss)

WW7’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 24 (Miss)

The charmed werewolf had apparently had enough of the Huntress’s abuse, because it viciously clawed at the woman, raking both claws across her face, causing blood to flow like a river. It was good to see that the werewolf wasn’t completely useless. Well, that’s not fair, it was keeping the priestess occupied, keeping her from further buffing the werewolves, so there was that.

The werewolf in front of me tried to stand, but Frostmane’s jaws quickly ended that plan, along with the wolf’s life. The remaining three wolves, roared a challenge, and launched their attacks. Most missed, with a couple being so embarrassing that the werewolves almost wounded themselves in their attempts, but two struck home, and slashed down Frostmane’s flanks, drawing blood once again.

Melinda’s attack (Huntress): 1d20+16 = 24 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10 = 1 (Bludgeoning)

Hellrime Blow damage: 5d6 = 15 (Cold)

Huntress’s Fort Save: 1d20+16 = 32 (Success)

With the wolf in front of me handled, I spread my wings and flew up, over the battle line, before circling around to drop in behind the Huntress. A light jab of my fist against her back unleashed another onslaught of icy energy. I grinned wickedly. “How’s it feel to become the hunted, Huntress?”

Siora’s attack (WW6): 1d20+4 = 10 (Miss)

Siora’s attack went wide once again, as she shot at the werewolf. She sighed in mock exasperation. “Damn, situations like this make me feel useless. Why can’t we go and try and have some fun with political intrigue instead of this?”

Vestele’s Cure Moderate Wounds (Frostmane): 2d8+7 = 19

Vestele shook her head as she placed her hand upon Frostmane’s back once again, and healed his wounds. “Now, now, sister, dear. You know that it would be far too easy if we did that. How would we gain renown and new followers for the Queen if you spent all your time in bed with plumped up nobles?”

Frostmane’s Attack (WW6): 1d20+12 = 23 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite damage: 1d8+19 = 22 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 3 (Cold)

Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+13 = 26

WW6’s STR check: 1d20+3 = 19 (Fail, Prone)

Frostmane nodded once in appreciation to Vestele, before turning his attention to the werewolf that had just wounded him. Fangs met flesh, and the werewolf howled in pain as it was cast down, face first, onto the stone floor. “Ugh, politics is a pain. Too much talking, not enough fighting!”

Huntress’s Attack (Melinda): 1d20+9 = 25 (Miss)

Huntress’s Attack (Melinda): 1d20+4 = 23 (Miss)

The Huntress whirled on me, her eyes blazing with rage. From this close, I could tell that she was definitely not human, but she did not appear to be a werewolf, either. That was a mystery we could solve when she was dead, however. The Huntress lashed out with her morningstar, but I danced out of the way, lazily shifting my body just enough to let it miss each time. “Stand still, you BITCH!”

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WW3’s Claw attack (Huntress): 1d20+11 = 14 (Miss)

WW3’s Claw attack (Huntress): 1d20+11 = 20 (Miss)

WW3’s Bite attack (Huntress): 1d20+7 = 16 (Miss)

WW5’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 16 (Miss)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 4 (Slashing)

WW5’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 27 (Miss)

WW5’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 23 (Miss)

Frostmane’s AoO (WW6): 1d20+12 = 17 (Miss)

WW6’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 22 (Miss)

WW6’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 14 (Miss)

WW6’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 13 (Miss)

WW7’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 24 (Miss)

WW7’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 23 (Miss)

WW7’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 10 (Miss)

Once again, the werewolves proved to be outmatched when fighting against the likes of Frostmane or the Huntress. While I was glad that they were really quite useless against Frostmane, I would have liked the damn wolf to finish off the Huntress for me. So inconsiderate!

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Huntress’s AoO (Melinda): 1d20+9 = 11 (Miss)

Melinda’s attack (Huntress): 1d20+16 = 33 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10 = 1 (Bludgeoning)

Hellrime Blow damage: 5d6 = 13 (Cold) (Dead)

Well, if the wolf wasn’t going to do it, then I’d just have to take care of it myself! I leaned back, allowing the Huntress’s morningstar to pass through the space my head was formerly in. And then I kept leaning back, my foot coming up, wreathed in icy cold. My foot hit her squarely on the jaw, and the energy of the blast dropped her down, dead as could be. With her down, I rushed back to the fight, hoping to give the werewolves a bit more to think about.

Siora’s attack (WW6): 1d20+4 = 9 (Miss)

Vestele’s Attack (WW6): 1d20+7 = 12 (Miss)

Siora loosed another arrow, but it was clear she was mostly doing it on the off chance of a lucky hit. Vestele, on the other hand, stepped forward, towards the wounded werewolf, and lashed out with her morningstar. Unfortunately, her attack was no more successful than her sister’s.

Frostmane’s Attack (WW5): 1d20+14 = 31 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite damage: 1d8+19 = 23 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 4 (Cold)

Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+13 = 15

WW5’s STR check: 1d20+3 = 7 (Fail, Prone)

Frostmane ignored the half-dead werewolf, and instead turned his attention to one of the wolves that was, as yet, uninjured. As had happened so many times before, the winter wolf’s jaws pierced flesh, and the wolf was thrown to the ground. “You would think that they’d understand they were beaten.”

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WW3’s Claw attack (WW7): 1d20+11 = 14 (Miss)

WW3’s Claw attack (WW7): 1d20+11 = 20 (Hit)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 7 (Slashing) (DR 5/Silver)

WW3’s Bite attack (WW7): 1d20+7 = 14 (Miss)

Frostmane’s AoO (WW5): 1d20+14 = 21 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite Damage: 1d8+19 = 22 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 1 (Cold)

Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+13 = 27

WW5’s STR check: 1d20+3 = 22 (Fail, Prone)

WW6’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 23 (Miss)

WW6’s Claw attack (Frostmane): 1d20+9 = 12 (Miss)

WW6’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 25 (Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+5 = 9 (Normal Hit)

Bite Damage: 1d6+2 = 3 (Piercing)

WW7’s Claw attack (WW3): 1d20+9 = 19 (Hit)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 7 (Slashing) (DR 5/Silver)

WW7’s Claw attack (WW3): 1d20+9 = 19 (Hit)

Claw Damage: 1d4+3 = 7 (Slashing) (DR 5/Silver)

WW7’s Bite attack (Frostmane): 1d20+5 = 25 (Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+5 = 20 (Crit)

Bite Damage: 2d6+4 = 9 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

The charmed werewolf charged back into the fight as well, slashing at the only unblooded wolf, causing that wolf to turn on Siora’s pet. For all their ferocity, their claws and fangs did little real damage to each other. Indeed, they did almost as little damage as the werewolf who managed to nip Frostmane on the shoulder did. Not that I was complaining.

WW5’s AoO (Melinda): 1d20+9 = 15 (Miss)

WW7’s AoO (Melinda): 1d20+9 = 20 (Miss)

Melinda’s attack (WW7): 1d20+10 = 15 (Hit)

Hellrime Chain damage: 5d6 = 18 (Cold)

Melinda’s attack (WW5): 1d20+10 = 27 (Hit)

Hellrime Chain damage: 9 (Cold) (Dead)

I easily danced between claws as I gathered power in my hand once more. And, once more, I unleashed my wrath upon the werewolves, first hitting the healthiest of the three uncharmed wolves, and then bouncing to the one in front of me, striking it down. “Let’s finish this up.”

Siora’s Attack (WW7): 1d20+5 = 20 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+2 = 3 (Piercing) (+1 Vile) (DR 5/Silver)

Now that the battle was all but over, Siora decided against wasting any more arrows, and drew her rapier. It wasn’t an ideal weapon for fighting the werewolves, but that was not the point. Moving up beside Frostmane, she lunged forward, and managed to pierce her target’s defenses. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter, as its skin resisted the blade’s point.

Vestele’s Attack (WW6): 1d20+7 = 21 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+2 = 7 (Bludgeon/Pierce) (DR 5/Silver) (Dead)

Vestele’s morningstar swung through the air, and crashed upon the werewolf’s head with all her might. Despite the fact that the damage of her blow was lessened by her foe’s mystic nature, it was enough to bring down the embattled werewolf. Breathing easier, she said, “Last one’s for you, Frostmane.”

Frostmane’s Attack (WW7): 1d20+14 = 23 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite damage: 1d8+19 = 25 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 5 (Cold) (Dead)

The white wolf snapped his jaws once again, closing them on the werewolf’s throat. And then, in an instant, it was over for real. Frostmane chuffed at Vestele, and said, “Of course it is. Always relying on me to clean up your messes.”

Your party has defeated 7 Werewolf Warriors and a Huntress of Malar.

Melinda gains 1856 XP.

Frostmane gains 1375 XP.

Siora gains 1375 XP.

Vestele gains 1375 XP.

Melinda’s Cure Light Wounds (Frostmane): 1d8+1 = 2

Melinda’s Cure Light Wounds (Frostmane): 1d8+1 = 7

As I expended a couple charges from my wand to heal Frostmane’s wounds, Siora and Vestele looked over the corpse of the self-proclaimed Huntress of Malar. The priestess of Malcanthet looked at her sister, and said, “I haven’t seen anything like her before. She has wolflike features, like the werewolves we just killed, but she’s clearly not one of them. What about you, sister? Do you have any idea what type of creature she is?”

Siora shook her head. “I don’t know for sure, but I remember bedding a client in Northport that had a similar look about him. After he was a few cups in, he claimed that the Will of the World called him a ‘Wolfkin’, on account of his mother being a human, but his father being a werewolf. He was complaining a lot about it, actually, since apparently his family was less than pleased about his parentage, what with him being the reminder of an unfortunate encounter in the woods, that his mother barely survived.”

I looked over to them, and said, “In that case, these ‘Wolfkin’ may be the children of the werewolves running this show. I can see how they might hold a place of importance in the church of Malar. A bridge between the wolves and the more… sociable sects within their faith. At any rate, let’s see what she had on her.”

+1 Full Plate Armor

Type

Heavy Armor

Weight

50 lb

AC Bonus

9

Max Dex

1

ACP

-5

Speed

20

This suit of full plate armor is well made. While it remains as heavy as a normal suit of armor, the joints have been crafted in such a way as to enable the wearer to move a little more freely than normal.

+1 Enhancement to AC

35% Arcane Spell Failure

This was a nice suit of armor for a tanky-type warrior. Or, I guessed, a healer like the Huntress that needed to be able to go into the midst of battle and not die before healing allies. Too bad for the werewolves that the Huntress was too hotheaded to actually do any healing!

+1 Heavy Steel Shield

Type

Shield

Weight

15 lb

AC Bonus

3

Max Dex

ACP

-1

Speed

This shield is well crafted, and the straps designed so that the shield will not get in the way as much as a normal version.

+1 Enhancement to AC

15% Arcane Spell Failure

This shield was essentially the same as the one Vestele carried, except that it was made from steel instead of enchanted wood, like hers was. That also meant that the shield was three times as heavy as the one that Vestele carried. Nice, but not something we could use. It would be worth some coin, if we could get it back to Northport, however.

+1 Human Bane Morningstar

Type

Simple 1-hand

Weight

6 lb

Damage

1d8

Damage Type

Bludgeoning / Piercing

Critical

x2

This morningstar has been forged to have a head like a wolf’s. It is enchanted to be especially deadly to humans.

+1 Enhancement to Attack and Damage

+1d6 damage to Humanoid (Human) enemies

This weapon was a nasty thing. Fortunately, our group was immune to the secondary effects of the enchantment. I counted as being one of the Fey, and the rest of the group were even further from human than I was. However, human werewolves were still human enough to suffer from it. Vestele grinned wickedly as she slipped her Disruption morningstar into her bag, in favor of this one.

Masterwork Heavy Crossbow

Type

Simple Ranged

Weight

8

Damage

1d10

Damage Type

Piercing

Critical

19-20 / x2

Range

120

This heavy crossbow is a powerful weapon in even the most unskilled hands. However, its slow reloading speed makes it a better choice for a siege than a running battle.

The crossbow was nice, but not really nice enough for us to bother taking it back to town with us. Selling it to the militia would only get us, at best, a few gold apiece, but even bags with their own pocket dimensions had a limit to what they could carry. Frostmane’s bag was almost full, and a couple suits of armor would fill up the rest of our bags, as well. It was a shame to leave a perfectly functional weapon behind, but none of us wanted it, and we couldn’t afford the weight.

Scroll of Raise Dead

Type

Tool

CL

9

This scroll will restore life to a creature that has been dead for no longer than one day per caster level, so long as the creature’s soul is free and willing to return. Creatures that have been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect cannot be raised by this spell. Constructs, elementals, non-native outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised. This spell cannot bring back a creature that has died of old age.

I couldn’t help but whistle as I read the description of the magic on this scroll. Being able to bring back the dead was a great thing, especially since it was looking like we were going to be getting into bigger, and heavier fights. Some of the fights against the dire wolves, or against the werewolf lord in the wolf den, had almost killed a couple of us. A bit of insurance was more than welcome.