Session 25

As the party makes their way out of Yester Hill back towards The Winery, they notice that the wolves seem to stop howling.

A few minutes down the road, they come across a large man with mutton chops. Shalooti notices Lancelot Stat Block trying to play with some scared looking wolf pups on the side of the road, and she stops to give them jerky.

The man whistles for the pups, and they retreat back to him. The party continues on past the man who warily eye the group as they pass.

Another 30 minutes on the road, and Bardolf notices movement behind them. Suddenly, 2 dire wolves jump from the woods and attack, followed shortly by the same man who transforms into a wolf-human hybrid. Two other werewolves join the fight, and one commands the pups, names Lazlo, Hans, and Franz to attack. They hesitate but ultimately bite at Shalooti.

Bardolf is bitten by one of the werewolves and notices that it stings a bit more than normal.

Realizing the wolf pups are likely the same boys missing from the Vallaki orphanage, Anakir puts them to sleep to avoid causing them any harm. The rest of the party dispatches the dire wolves and the werewolves. They give the boys -- now in human form, naked, and awake -- the animal pelts to wear and escort them back to The Winery.

Back at The Wizard of Wines, the group is met by an eager Adrian Martikov. Asking too soon about the gem, Pelanil punches him twice before he drops the matter and invites everyone in for lunch.

The boys tell the group about how they were kidnapped after running away from the orphanage. The said that the werewolves took them to their den somewhere out in the middle of the woods, where they locked them in cages and forced them to fight other kids for the opportunity to be turned in to werewolves.

Davian congratulates Bardolf on his newly-obtained Lycanthropy, remembering that just yesterday, Bardolf was asking to be turned into a wereraven. Davian goes on to explain that there are three ways for Lycanthropy to be removed:

1. A Greater Restoration spell, known by only very powerful magic practitioners
2. Killing the root lycanthrope - Davian had heard of this happening in distant history, but has never seen it himself
3. Belladonna Root Treatment - a very dangerous poison that is just as likely to kill the patient as to heal them of their curse
   1. The group considered where the could find the root:
      1. Maybe the Mad Mage has found some living in the woods
      2. Since Baba Lysaga is into natural magic, maybe she has some stored up

The group decided that they would continue on to Berez to find the second gem, recover Argynost's skull, and find some Belladonna root to cure Bardolf.

The party finally agreed to give up the gem for a stake in The Winery. Adrian agreed to give:

• 10% for the first gem
• 25% for the second gem
• 80% for the third gem

Dag immediately took the gem out to the vineyard and buried it.

Quests

The group asked how they could protect Bardolf if he were to turn overnight. Davian offered a large chain and a pillar in the cellar to tie him to.