After deciding the pros and cons of helping the Great Wolf, the party decided to see if they could help. Tha’pop saw that a family of ravens were also around the Great wolf and one was flying in a circle above the maze about 60 feet in. Taking that as an omen, knowing some ravens attach themselves to Great wolves, perhaps it was a good one. Tha’pop and Dro who were the most adamant in not helping the wolf find her cubs, now were the 2 going into the maze.
Tha’pop approaches the entrance and looks both left and right in the first corridor. To this left he sees a full grown elk on the ground. Its eyes glazed over blind, and a huge tentacle was laying over its hind quarters. It looks like the elk is slowly being eaten alive, and the elf is miserable from its movement and cries. Tha’pop knows this pet of the titans is truly evil. Looking to the right they see 2 small tentacles lying across the corridor and a turn in the maze to the left about 40 feet. Tha’pop easily crosses the 2 tentacles and Dro (agi test successful) gets over the 2 tentacles without disturbing them. Getting to the turn they see the 3 wolf pups separated in 2 groups by tentacles. The first 2 wolves closest to Tha’pop are shivering and yelping to the calls of their mother, and otherwise seem unharmed. Tha’pop reaches down and grabs them by the scruff of the neck and the pups go amazingly docile, to the relief of both Tha’pop and Dro. One more pup is seen across another tentacle but something is wrong. The lone pup’s eyes are glazed over and it appears blind. Blinded by the tentacle gas that must have been expelled when one of the pups touched a tentacle. Dro looks at Tha’pop and Tha’pop holds up the 2 pups with both hands and shrugs. Dro crosses the tentacle (agi test, successful) and picks up the other pup by the scruff of the neck. A few minutes later, all pups and rescuers leave the maze without further incident. The pups are reunited with the mother Wolf,but everyone is looking at the blind pup and pondering its fate.
The she Wolf looks at Adira once more and the feeling and compulsion of “follow” is imprinted on her. She tells the group she thinks she wishes for them to follow. Dro and Mork both get ready and say and agree that the wolf owes us, and it’s time to get paid.
If by chance you observed this rare site, you would have seen one group of a Wolf, her cubs, and party of ravens, followed by a stumbling wolf cub with a raven riding on top, followed lastly by a dwarf, elf, 2 humans and 9 pack animals. Every night when camped the Great Wolf would distance herself from the camp and howl in the night. Each corresponding night, more Wolf howls from others can be heard.
3 days later, the 2 groups arrive at a clearing next to the mountains. In the clearing below is a bowl type depression, looking like an abandoned amphitheater. Studying this feature, Tha’pop stiffens just slightly and says, don’t make any sudden movements, we have company. A few moments later several wolves appear out of the woods surrounding them.
A solitary Wolf approaches the group and starts making noises. ( had players make will vrs will checks against each other. The winner of most successes would be the one the wolves could speak to). Dro scratches his head, and says,”by the gods, I think that is a terrible dialect of drawven im hearing”. Mort says “ You can understand that? How?” Dro responds, “ Its a terrible drawven speaking, but sounds exactly like my cousin Drome, when he lost his teeth and has jaw tied up for a bit.”
The group watches as the She wolf takes her blind pup down to the bottom center of the amphitheater and leaves it. The other wolves except for one talking to Dro start howling and barking across the chasm. After about 1 hour of Dro with the wolf, he comes back to the group and gives his report.
Dro clears his throat. “ Seems this is a gathering of this pack to decide the outcome of the lil one down below. They don’t have the resources or ability to care for the blind one, and know it. So they will be deciding either to kill it, or exile it, which will lead to the same thing most generally.”
Now both groups, one of the party members and one of the wolves were in discussion about the blind pup. Tha’pop and Dro liked the spirit of the blind pup, but were practical in their outlook and expressed their desire to let the wolves decide it. Mort brings up the idea of them taking the pup themselves, and both Dro and Tha’pop give all the reasons why that would be a bad idea, and only be a hindrance. Finally in the end, Adira speaks up, I’ll take the pup, i’ll take care of and help the best i can, I don’t want to see the pup die. Everyone else rolls their eyes and Dro motions for the interpreter over.
After a while with both Interpreters speaking with the pack and with Dro, Dro saunters back.
“Here’s the deal they be offering. They know the pup needs a pack at this young age. They be agreeable to this, since the mother has vouched for you in all the matters since meeting us all. The pack will need 1 of us to be the primary mother or guardian of this.” Adira nods, “ That will be me.” Dro holds up his hand and says, “ Yeah I’m not finished Adira. The one selected will go down below and lay beside the pup. Then some sort of wolf magic or something, will happen and the pup will be bonded to the one beside it.” Adira speaks up again “ Okay, that sounds fine, Ill…” Dro holds up his hand once again. “Problem is, this hasn’t been done since ages back, they be doing some wolf lore of sorts, and there is a chance of it not working, the pup dying, or you Adira”. Everyone grew silent, and looked at Adira, who was staring at the ground. Few moments later, Adira raises her head, and nods yes.
Adira makes her way down to the bottom of the amphitheater and lays down on the cool earth beside the sleeping blind pup. Night comes and the ceremony begins with the wolves howling and almost in a sing song manner. In the light of the full moon, they start to see a mist raise out of the ground. A mist also emanates out of the mouth of 3 of the oldest wolves and slowly the 4 mist coalesce above the bodies of the 2 below. ( I had 3 of the players roll for the wolves’ success in this ritual, then had Adira roll for success to accept and live through this ordeal.) The mist hovering above the bodies circle and start to spark and then it takes the shape of 2 long daggers connected together, slowly descending and entering the 2 bodies. The mist enters and leaves each body and then renters the other body and back and forth. Hours pass and just before sunrise, the mist dissipates and both wolf and party look anxiously down at the 2 bodies. Slowly the pup raises, still blind, and licks the face of Adira, who doesn’t move at first, but then slowly reaches out and touches the pup back.
After breakfast and Mort eyeing the exiting wolves and nervously keeps checking to make sure no pack animals are missing, the interpreter wolf approaches Dro once more.
Dro nods and the wolf leaves, and another old wolf approaches.” Seems the pack is leaving, but they got us a reward up in a cave not far from her. This wolf here will lead us there, but cant speak to any of us. It will also lead us to the nearest man trail which is 2 moons away. “ They pack up and get ready. Adira notices that one of the ravens has decided to stay with them and the pup.
Few hours later up in the mountain they come across a cave. The cave entrance looks natural, but the inside is carved out and not of any design they can come up with. It appears to be an observation cave, since looking down, they can see to the valley floor and see the amphitheater they were at yesterday. Sitting on the wall in the back of the cave, is a petrified skeleton. The robe or clothing on the skeleton is also petrified. However an amulet around the neck of the skeleton seems unaged and not of stone. The wolf with its teeth takes the amulet necklace from the skeleton corpse and slings it on his neck. The wolf approaches the party and shrugs off the amulet on the ground and backs away. Dro being greedy, snatches it up first and appraises it (ob2. success) .it appears to be priceless to his understanding.
Dro, without thinking, slips the amulet over his neck and instantly falls asleep. The rest of the party looks at Adira the sorcerer and she just shrugs, and says.” Well we wait”. 4 hours later Dro wakes up and curses having a terrible headache. “ Welcome back Dro”. Dro stands up and looks around, groggily moves to the entrance of the cave for some fresh air. Dro gasps and mutters to himself. “What is it, Dro?” Tha’pop asks.
“By the gods, I seem to know…that’s impossible. I seem to know everything about this trail, and that one across the way. I think they would call this…” Shaking his head. “ Eyes widen, I seem to know about these trails. ( Dro made 3 rolls from the amulet activating it and received trailwise exponent 2 from it.) Dro still amazed, gawks at the trails and back to the party.
Mort says,” well if it works for you, it might work for me. Let me see it. “ Dro dwarf greed kicks in and says. “Might be later, but for now, lets wait.”
Forgot to mention.
Adira received a deed point.
For knowingly putting her life in jeopardy to save the wolf pup during the ceremony. It could of taken her life if the rolls didn’t work well in her favor.
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