The Blood Moon

... So this is the thanks we get for sorting out another problem. I think we should just start charging for our services like true mercenaries.
Imbeciles! Most of the animosity is coming from the blacksmith and everyone is just jumping on the band wagon. Thankfully the village elder is on our side and thanks to Killian and his amazing performance, he's won them over. I didn't think wiping out a village would be good for our reputation. Now that the villagers have come round we are presented with a small feast for our efforts in the mountains and given a new challenge. The Herbalist has gone missing and for this town to continue autonomously she needs to be found. Whilst everyone is busy, I go find the blacksmith. Barrick his name is. I want to know why he is so hostile towards us. Turns out, he's just sick of the main town of Rel leaving the outside villages to their own preservation's. So to remedy this, I spend the night with him at his forge.
-Note-Barrick has some rudimentary skills as a smith and his efficiency is impressive. I've learnt a few tips and skills from him that I intend to apply to my own work. Being able to streamline the general smiting process is a boon I can utilize for the majority of my work. As sign of goodwill and mending the bridges, I also do the same for him.
 
Killian, Lairion and I set out North West into the woods where the herbalist was last seen. Apparently she frequents the wooded area often and for her to go missing is unusual. But, due to the recent Kobold activity, it is likely that something is afoot.
About 2-3 hours into the woods yields no results. Not even a trace! We all gather our thoughts and decide what to do next. At that moment the decision is made for us...wolves!
 
[Two packs of wolves - 1 from the North and 1 from the South move in to attack the party.]
 
I've never seen wolves this organised before. The pack is too large! What the hell is that?
 
[A Werewolf emerges with two other wolves and joins the battle. Killian and Lairion are swarmed by the first pack and Krod is swarmed by the second. The sheer volume of creatures is overwhelming for the party. Killian has the idea to slay the werewolf and hopefully disperse the packs.]
 
How are we going to survive this? There's too many! Great idea Killian! Kill the Alpha!
 
[Killian and Krod focus their attacks on the werewolf , whilst Lairion continues to attack the pack. After the pack fell Lairion, and then Krod, Killian manages to land the final blow as the werewolf begins it's retreat.]
 
I can't believe we survived that! I actually thought it was going to be an easy fight as well. That'll teach me to underestimate generic creatures. Let's see if we can determine who this bastard is... I don't believe this! It's Barrick!
-Note- I'm not well taught in medicine or biology, and I don't know what to derive from this encounter. I'm at a loss for words. I do know on thing, I'm going to be taking some blood. Lycanthropy seems to be a disease that I need to find a cure for. Especially after our first encounter in Blazingdell with Theli's poor boy who became a Wererat. Its not prevalent but having a cure wouldn't hurt either.
 
Killian, Lairian and I decide to burn and bury the body. Better that the Smith go missing than revealing to the village that he's been the cause of their problems. I don't like the idea but it's the lesser of two evils. We decide to move just a bit further on, tracking where the werewolf might have come from to find signs of the missing herbalist. Sure enough, after ten minutes, we find her beneath a fallen tree.
I can tell that the battle previous has taken it's toll on my colleagues. For some reason, they're confused about how to heal her. Turns out the tree had broken her leg. After two minutes of them bickering and her bleeding out, I decide to shove my way in between the two of them and heal her. Fools! The women's bleeding out!
 
Elowin the herbalist thanks us for our help and provides bountiful rewards in the form of potions. I'd love to know how to concoct these myself but I understand that this is her livelihood and the recipes she has learned have been passed down through her family. I allow Killian to do his usual spiel and hint at the discovery of a werewolf. She seems to know as much as we do.
-Note- The reward granted to us by the Herbalist Elowin;
1. Potion of Healing x3
2. Antitoxin x2
3. Potion of Greater Healing
4. Potion of Barkskin
5. Potion of Vitality
 
Incredible, I've never seen anything like that before!
 
The Blood Moon Eclipse- a sign of ill omen! When the veil of the cosmic tapestry is at it's most vulnerable and the power black loom starts to unmake reality. Apparently, not many know this prophecy, but those who do, see it as the first step towards the end. According to Elowin, we need to seek out the elder Thelwin of the celestial weavers.
 
The eclipse stays in the sky for a good hour before it passes. We couldn't help but notice the sudden stillness in the world. No bird song, no breeze, no rustling of the trees. On our way back to Rel we shall go to the Observatory and try to learn more about what's going on. Killian and Lairion take Elowin back to the village while I sneak off to the forge. I want to know if there's anything out of place in Barricks workshop.
-Note- While the village is distracted with it's herbalists return, amble opportunity is given to me to have a thorough investigation. But I turn up nothing, except a bloody shirt with clear claw markings. This just confirms what we already know. I don't think Barrick was a bad man, so I decide to take the shirt and leave everything as it was.
A note was also handed to my colleagues as I was off investigating the forge. The note appears to be from an anonymous source that inform us the assassin known as Silent Whisper passed through here heading towards Rel about 5 days ago. I hope nothing has happened in Rel whilst we've been gone?
 
The observatory is a fascinating structure. The white marble stone is cleanly cut and smooth and in bedded within it are veins of gold that reflect the light as if the structure itself shone like the stars. A simple password allows us to enter through the front door. A Great chamber on the inside of the structure houses a clockwork orrery at it's centre. Along the walls are shelves of books and dusty toombs. In the far corner of the room we see him sitting in a chair, Elder Thelwin. Before we can even introduce ourselves, he speaks like a man possessed, his eye fogged over and white and reels off a prophecy to do with the cosmic tapestry - that the veil between worlds is being ripped open. The end of days. He tells us to seek out preistess Jalena. Apparently her research on what is known as the black loom, may yield promise and our first steps in this investigation to prevent the coming events.
-Note- This observatory contains a mountain of knowledge about the universe. I need to come back here to study it further - I'm pressed for time at this moment as Thelwin says there's urgency involved with the coming of this eclipse. From what Thelwin tells us about the black loom, we're all suspicious of Jalena and her research into it. I think we need to have a discussion when we get back to Rel.
The simple magical password the stops unwanted entry is a fantastic idea. An ingenious deterrent against those less the inclined to apply some forethought to situation... Killian wanting to take something comes to mind.
 
Upon entry into Rel, the town has a atmosphere to it. The people seem very much on edge and rumor is spreading like wildfire. I'd hazard a guess that they don't know the true ramifications of the eclipse but take it as a bad sign anyway.
-Note-Killian informs us that the whispers throughout the town suggest that Priestess Jalena has hosted an emergency congregation and spouting suspicious prayers due to the events transpired. "Seek the Black Loom. Weave destiny anew". We need to head there as soon as possible.
 
We report to the mages guild to hand over our findings to do with the dragon in Mount Gorgan. Thankfully they received our message about what had been going on in the mountains and were expecting us.
-Note- Apparently asking to be part of the mages guild is a joke to them. I don't know why we are to receive such animosity from them. Have we not helped? Have we earned their time? I just want to further my magical aptitude. Knowledge should be shared, not hoarded. Fools! I hope they come begging to me to make their Staffs, wands and focuses. I hope when their tower crumbles and they come begging to me to repair it. In fact you know what...
 
[Krod prepares to cast 3rd level shatter and is stopped by Killian.]
 
We head to the Cathedral of the order of celestial weavers to inquire with Priestess Jalena about the event of the eclipse. The Cathedral is empty except for her at the alter and two acolytes either side of her in worship. I don't need to look at my companions to know we're all on the same page for this one. We all delicately question the events that have transpired after the eclipse and her intentions going forward. We also have our questions about her study on the black loom. Without prompting she has given up the game. She starts preaching about how we should embrace the end of all things for there are ways for the worthy to ascend.
-Note-Despite her dogmatic rhetoric she does give us actual names to follow-up on. Perhaps their non-religious view could provide an actual grounded explanation as to whats happening or even where to start?
Rune-Scribe Marlowe - Scholar of Forbidden Texts, in the Guilded Quill.
Veyna - Keeper of Arcane Relics, in the Eternal Library.
My telepathy will only allow for so much information to be revealed as I know this woman has a strong mind and possible psychic defenses. I believe I have theory that may work. A crude method of asking the right questions while her surface thoughts are being read can allow for an emotion to emerge within a response. This should tell me if shes holding something back in response to our questioning.
 
[As Killian, Lairion and Krod begin to leave the cathedral, Priestess and her two acolytes prepare for an attack. All parties enter combat. The two acolytes engage Lairion and Krod. Killian engages Priestess Jalena. The two acolytes undergo a transformation to become undead creatures. Lairion turns undead. Krod uses his wand of lightening to strike one of the acolytes and the Priestess while Killian continues to engage in Melee. Priestess Jalena makes her escape leaving the others to finish the job. ]