Session 2: Tables Turned, Hunting the Nightreavers

After their initial encounter with the Nightreaver, the party—Rolandus , Tonibore, and Zenscha—returned to the camp where the Sarnovik family huddled by the fire. The mist was thicker now, and the cold was biting. Evelia, still clutching onto hope, pleaded for the party to continue searching for her missing husband, Varke. While the group debated their next move, Tonibore stepped forward with a clear plan: he would scout the area alone to confirm the location of the Nightreaver’s nest.   Though Zenscha and Rolandus had their concerns, Tonibore’s experience as a hunter convinced them it was the best course of action. Rolandus, still nursing his wounds, agreed to stay behind and guard the camp. With a grim nod, Tonibore tossed back the concoction Zenscha had made for him, and gathered his gear and disappeared into the mist, leaving the group to tend the fire and keep an uneasy watch over the frightened Sarnovik family.   Moving silently through the dense, snow-covered forest, Tonibore relied on his keen tracking abilities to follow the faint signs of the Nightreaver. The creature’s trail, though obscured by the recent snowfall, was still fresh enough for him to follow—broken twigs, disturbed leaves, and faint bloodstains marked its path. He descended into a narrow valley, the cold air growing more oppressive as he neared what he suspected to be the creature’s nest.   It wasn’t long before he found it—a secluded hollow, tucked beneath an outcropping of rocks and heavily camouflaged by undergrowth. The nest was crude but unmistakable, built from a mixture of branches, bones, and dried sap. Tonibore observed the signs of movement around it—this was where the Nightreaver had likely retreated to after its attack. Satisfied that he had found the lair, he carefully retraced his steps, intending to return to the camp and share what he had found.   As he neared the camp, however, a blood-curdling scream pierced the silence. The sound sent a chill through him, and he immediately recognized it as coming from the direction of the camp.   Back at the camp, things had been eerily quiet until the scream shattered the stillness. Zenscha and Rolandus were tending to the fire when Danyar, who had been standing guard with Rolandus’s knife, suddenly collapsed in pain. His face contorted in agony, and he began writhing on the ground as though something inside him was tearing him apart.   As they rushed to his side, Zenscha quickly diagnosed the problem—a Nightreaver larva had been implanted inside the boy, likely during the earlier attack. The larva, now ready to emerge, was tearing its way through Danyar's abdomen. Panic overtook Evelia and her other children as they watched in horror.   Before anyone could act, the small, a Nightreaver larva burst out from the boy’s body and darted toward the cart. Rolandus, despite his injuries, immediately gave chase, determined to put an end to the threat. The larva was fast, but Rolandus, with his honed reflexes, managed to catch up and wound the creature, though it continued its desperate escape into the woods.   The group gathered by the fire to assess the situation. Rolandus, exhausted but victorious, returned from the woods carrying the dead Nightreaver larva for Zenscha to inspect.  Danyar, though alive, was in critical condition after the creature had burst from him. As they tended to his wounds, the group knew they had to make a decision. Despite their fatigue and the growing dangers, the Nightreaver’s nest had to be dealt with immediately. Leaving it unchecked risked more attacks, and they couldn't afford any further casualties. Tonibore spoke with Evelia, hoping to find some resources that might help. She recalled that they had left a small cache of lamp oil back at their ruined camp. It was all they had, but it could serve their purpose. With no time to waste, Tonibore and Zenscha gathered the oil and prepared for the task ahead.   The two of them made their way back through the snow and mist, returning to the nest Tonibore had scouted earlier. Upon arriving, they quietly set to work, gathering nearby wood and dry brush to ring the nest. Once they were certain they had surrounded it with enough fuel, they doused the structure in lamp oil. Tonibore struck the flint, and within moments, the nest was engulfed in flames.   They stayed back, watching intently for any sign of escaping creatures. For a tense few minutes, the flames roared and crackled, casting an eerie light against the mist. The sound of horrific shrieking came from within the nest, but no creatures emerged. Soon, the shrieking ceased, leaving only the crackling of burning wood in the silence of the night.   Confident the nest had been eradicated, Tonibore and Zenscha made their way back to the camp. The ordeal had left them utterly drained, but they finally allowed themselves some rest. For the first time in hours, the camp fell into an uneasy but much-needed sleep.