The Age of Worms / Rakthar's Way pt.4 / Eire the 24th through the 25th, 3592 CE / 12-22-19

In the aftermath of the battle with Orak and Blacktooth, the party decides the lock up the bathhouse and report to Captain Skellerang. The Captain is dubious of Marrow's assertion that they are dealing with vampires, but nonetheless asks the party to investigate the tunnels beneath Orak's bathhouse further before he sends in city guards. He also agrees to help them acquire some wooden stakes, and to Jennie's request that she be included in the reward in exchange for her continued aid. Jennie then accompanies Rikit to Vortimax's elixir shop, where she purchases some belladonna as a cure for the curse of Blacktooth's bite. The cure is painful, but ultimately successful. The party resupplies and sets out the following morning for the bathhouse. When they arrive, they find a man waiting there, trying to get in. Milton Butters is there to have a bath, but after learning that the newcomers have arrived to battle a dark evil waiting within, he immediately volunteers to join the party. They proceed to the tunnels underneath the bathhouse. and Rikit once again begins scouting ahead, but is stopped short by animal noises that remind him of his own beloved pet owlbear, Beaker. Unable to bear the thought of leaving the animal in distress, Rikit returns to the storage room where he is surprised to see not an owlbear but an actual owl trapped in a cage. Nonetheless he releases the creature, whereupon he is further surprised to see it transform into a owl-like humanoid. Before they can get too acquainted, the sound of approaching goblins causes Rikit and the owl girl to scurry for cover behind some crates. The goblins, seeing the empty cage, rush off to the stairs, where a battle ensues. Rikit and the owl-girl move to aid their companions, and with the addition of two more of the goblin vampires, soon everyone find themselves in pitched battle. Though two of the goblin vampires escape, the party discovers the effectiveness of the wooden stakes as they fell two of the goblins by driving the stakes through their hearts before dragging them into the daylight to finish them off. The owl-girl introduces herself as Nova, and tells a strange story of how she ended up captured by the goblins. The party takes her under their wing, and once more locks up the bathhouse to regroup before attempting to venture deeper.