The Adventures of Berred, Ranger of Shadow Deep

While out on a mission with only three of my regular companions with me I happened upon a small group of auxiliaries camped around a fire. As we drew up a tall man in stripped trews and a loot stood up with a smile of relief on his face, 

He explained that he needed our help as they are all that is left of a small garrison set to defend High Rock, a little village just over the hill. Last night a pair of werewolves descended on them and tore through the village and their company. There might still be survivors and the werewolves were last seen near the large inn.

Even though it was dusk and the full moon was rising we offered our help at once.

-From the Journal of Bered The Ranger.

As our heroes headed around the large pond a wolf leapt out from some trees and was felled by the young Orla and her bow, one of the auxiliaries that had joined our heroes. Reflecting in the moonlight, Bered the Ranger, reached down near the pond and low a behold, a silver sword, very useful.

Two nearby giant rats both died with arrows in them as Bered and Trotter (the tracker) headed towards the trees.

Meanwhile Halleck defended himself from a giant fly, but helped by Nicolan, another auxiliary, they soon killed it. Off to their left two more giant flies charged Seb, a bear of a man, and another of the auxiliaries, killing both with ease. Behind Halleck Merlin the wizard, casts a healing spell soothing Halleck’s fly wounds.

As they moved around the pond yet another fly appeared next to Halleck but Orla quickly charged it and found herself in trouble. It was Halleck’s turn to assist and he helped kill it.

The last of the auxiliaries, Covin, a retired soldier, had spotted something in the pond and quickly swam out to find a small boat floating in the centre. He got in and rowed it to the edge. Merlin met him and searched the boat. The expression on Covin said it all, there’s a body in the boat and it wasn’t pretty. Tucked behind the body Merlin spots a bottle, a potion of slow fall, he took it.

Suddenly a wolf’s howl sounded somewhere ahead. Both Halleck and Trotter looked spooked. 

Trotter spotted something in the woods and quickly went to investigate. It was a horribly mutilated corpse, another werewolf victim.

Next to an old wagon Bered found a similar body, but with a giant fang stuck in its shoulder.

The group approach the house with the giant Seb and Merlin at the main door. Seb started to break down the door and they all noticed movement in the upstairs window, one of the werewolves.

Finally the door give out and Seb rushed inside, Followed by Merlin and Nicolan. Bered and Trotter saw this and started running for the house. 

Inside the entrance Merlin opened a cupboard and was greeted by a body which almost fell on top of him.

As a strange red light seems to shine momentarily from the moon, the shadow of the werewolf appears through a doorway. Suddenly a loud flash erupted from Merlin’s fingers and the smell of singed fur and a loud yelp.

Almost straight after an arrow whistled past, through two doorways into the werewolf, and Trotter winked. The werewolf disappeared further inside, only to find Bered and Covin waiting. The werewolf slashed out with its claws and Covin went down in a spray of blood. Suddenly it was chaos in the darkened building. A light was struck and the bodies of Nicolan and Orla were seen, as they tried, and failed to help, but also Halleck is there standing over the dead werewolf.

Softly a wolf then padded in through the backdoor.

Seb was suddenly there with Bered helping. Meanwhile Trotter has entered the building upstairs and has found something disturbing, a big bloody handprint missing three fingers, along with a silver dagger. One of the auxiliaries is a werewolf and he knew which one. He grabbed the dagger then rushed through a hatch and down the ladder to the downstairs room to warn the others he saw a now transformed Covin, which others had presumed dead, was attacking, with Halleck on the ground with a nasty gash across his chest, and the others had multiple injuries. Trotter charged, flashing his silver dagger, severely wounding the monster leaving Seb to behead it, a dead wolf lying behind him, near the backdoor.

Both werewolves were dead and the area secured.

Halleck groaned as he got up. Apparently it was only a scratch, he was fine. It was strange now that he needed a shave, and that full moon made him dizzy. He was sure it was nothing.

As the last rays of the setting moon glinted off the pond water, something emerged. A zombie dragged itself out of the water and headed towards the house.