Our heroes woke up in a prison transport wagon.
Alfein quickly checked the door but it was locked in a way that she couldn’t reach the lock.
And in any case the ride was short. A sleepshroom was thrown into the heroes, but having been on constant edge the last few days, they quickly covered their mouths.
The guards were surprised to find their prisoners awake, but the sheer number of them was still enough to guide them through what liked like the front office of a small shabby brewery and down in the basement where two newly made sturdy prison grade cells waiting them.
While our heroes were still groggy from the sleep poison they had succumbed to in the earlier fight, they were still puzzled why their captors had left them with all their gear.
Introducing Fenrir Camael, Asamir Druid with a secret.
The Aasimar Druid Fenrir Cameel went on about his day in the back of his shop “Fenrir’s Potions” in the Circle of Life neighbourhood.
Due to the murder of Daryl at the CopperPixie, there were more Daisyguards around than usual so he kept in doors. Not that he had anything illegal to hide, but to avoid causing a scene that would attract the lycans looking for him to be their leader or the Asminar looking to destroy him as an abomination.
The knock on the door startled him. Outside the door he found a cage with a postal pigeon with a message on it’s leg reading:
“Three people to be saved at Guttergold Brewery. Bring them to safety and let us know.” – Signed Wizards of Aeonspire.
The Wizards Zalthenna and Zaltar Evergaze were familiar to Fenrir. They were the High Wizards of the western most wizard tower: Westtor also know as Aeonspire Citadel.
They had caught him in his lycan form after he had killed his way through their stable staff. This was back when he couldn’t control it.
Rather than kill him, they had tried to cure the curse, but the unussual combination of Asimar blood with the lycanthrope curse had meant they were only partial successful.
He was grateful nevertheless as it had given him some control over the curse. Enough for him to be able to lead a civilised life in a city.
He immediately left for The Gutters to find Guttergold Brewery.
Guttergold Brewery
It didn’t take Fenrir long to find the little brewery. A quick survey around the building revealed that:
- Two Daisyguards were patrolling, which was suspecious as that was not normally the role of the city guards.
- Windows towards the back had recently been boarded up. So had all windows to the basement.
- Inside was a large Wolfen woman who looked like she either worked there or was the owner.
Fenrir quietly broke away the boarding too the basement on the left side of the building as it was the most private side.
Down in the basemen he saw 5 people in prison cells.
Amelia and Alfein had struck up a conversation with the two other prisoners in the adjacent cell.
They turned out to be Pop and Esmeralda Sprockle, the very parents of Pip the gnome boy who had lured them into Lopper Goldsmith’s trap.
It became clear that they had been captured and held hostage for over a month so that Lopper was able to force Pip to do his bidding whatever that might be.
The conversation was abruptly interrupted when Fenrir drank a Moon Howl Potion forcing his lycanthrope curse to surface.
He dropped his gear and clothes just in time for them not to be destroyed by his transformation before he jumped down into the basement.
Alfein didn’t waste time understanding the situation. All she saw was a distraction that gave her the opportunity to pick the high quality “Keep The Thieves Out 2000” lock.
She did it with such an ease that not even the tiniest click was heard.
As Fenrir tore the first of the three Iron Masquerade guards to shreds, Amelia and Orlando also clocked the opportunity and let Magic Missiles and daggers fly killing another of the guards and wooding the last one.
The fanatic Iron Mask left standing was undeterred by the carnage and stabbed Fenrir.
While the dagger didn’t do much damage, the sleep poison did its job and the feral werewolf fell asleep on the table.
To make matters worse, the Wolfen woman from above came down the stairs. Orlando jumped out of the cell to engage her before she could reach the sleeping werewolf.
Alfein dashed to the last Iron Mask to stop him from attacking the sleeping werewolf.
She tried to grab a dagger with sleep poison on it as she ran towards the captor but the slippery dagger slid out of her hand.
She continued undeterred and pulled her own weapons to cut the last Iron Mask down in two swift strikes.
Amelia saw the Wolfen bite at Orlando’s neck missing only by a fraction. The powerful jaws were clearly meant to kill even larger prey so Amelia went on the attack.
Fenrir woke up and charged the Wolfen drawing her attention with his strikes as Orlando stabbed with his daggers in her furry neck finally bringing down the mighty predator.
Amelia called out to Scatter to reveal herself as it was safe now.
Fenrir managed to control his curse and return to his Asminar state and explain he had been sent to rescue the three heroes but his orders didn’t include the two gnomes.
But the gnomes had seen too much. They had seen Scatter and they had seen Fenrir’s transformation.
It was quickly decided to bring them to Fenrir’s store on the little island on Circle of Life neighborhood.
Taking a breather in the Circle of Life
Back at Fenrir’s store, Alfein spoke out what was on everybody’s mind: Could Shatter really destroy memories? And could she do it to the gnomes?
The little green girl casually walked up to Esmeralda and seemed to pull an imaginary thread out of the gnome’s head and snip it with her fingers like they were scissors.
Esmeralda lowered her head for a second and when she raised it again, it was clear she had no idea where she was or how she got there.
Scatter performed the same childish ritual with Pop and the two gnomes were sent on their way back to their home in Thornlock.
The three heroes now realised they were safe for the first time since they were trusted with the crate that had held the sleeping Scatter.
They also realized they were now four partners. Fenrir’s connection to the Wizards and how the Wizards seemed to have an interest in the situation, meant they had a direction, a lead to follow.
They sat down to discuss how to prepare for a longer trip away, what to bring and how to make sure their absence would not arouse suspicion.
And the evening went on as drinks kept flowing from Fenrir’s cellar
As the planning and the evening went on, wine, beer and good food turned into laughter as the four newly found friends.
The last couple of crazy days were forgotten for a moment as the party discussed whether it was true that The Dandelion Toybox, local toymaker, also made adult toys under the counter and the alcohol fueled friends ideated around potential adult toy names such as the “Vibrating Beholder Tentacle” for the ladies and the “Pocket Gelatinous Cube” for the gents.
