Adventure 23: The Wolves of Willowbrook
The party beds down for the night in a clearing in the swamp. No sooner do they settle in than they hear a man
running, and wolves howling. Those who are awake choose to ignore this for as long as possible, even when the
man ends up running through their camp, chased by a large wolf. Wynter chooses to ultimately investigate and
takes Veblen out with him to discover the mauled individual.
They bring the injured man back to camp and tend to his wounds. In the morning he tells them he is from a
village that is about ten minutes away from the parties camp.
Wynter and Fathan carry the man back through the swamp to a small, quiet village called Willowbrook. They take
him to the last house in the village; a mansion of considerable size. They bring him in and discover Celeste and
her father; the brother-in-law and niece of the man they found in the woods. The man’s name is Horace, and he
tells the Wynter and Fathan that they may take food and water, as well as some gems that are on a picture hanging
in his study.
In the meantime Luthien and Veblen, as well as Fuzzy and Tar-Nak grow worried about what has happened to their
friends. They start up the flitter ship and begin to search for the rest of their team.
Wynter and Fathan chat with Celeste and her father about how they came to be here after the fall of Bane. Her
father tells them of Atrius and his daughter - her death and his unwillingness to accept it. He reveals that Atrius is
the necromancer who now commands the corrupted fey, and seeks to bring his elven daughter back to life by any
means necessary. He also tells the party that the gems on the picture in the study are from a jeweled bird that once
belonged to Atrius’ daughter.
Ultimately a connection is made that the jeweled bird is the same bird that the party had seen in Feather’s Tomb.
Theories are also drawn as to why the undead army is following the party.
In the meantime those on board the flitter ship discover the town that Horace was likely leading the others to, and
moves within shouting distance of the mansion.
Wynter hears his comrades outside and fires a flaming arrow to alert them to his presence. Luthien and Veblen
believe instead, however, that they are under attack and pull quickly away. Veblen also notes that there is a large
sky-ship moving in on the party’s position. He guesses that the ship that once attacked Eat has been repaired and
is once again on the prowl.
It is now noted that a growing number of wolves has moved in around the house and they sit waiting for
something. Wynter attempts to talk to them, but then realizes that his time is limited.
Wynter and Fathan finally get their companion’s attention, and Luthien realizes that he is not under attack. A
plan is devised to use a rope to get Wynter and Fathan on board. They manage to climb up just as Veblen realizes
that there are a half dozen smaller ships coming at a high rate of speed in an attack formation.
An air battle ensues in which the flitter ship is destroyed, but not before the party manage to down several other
vessels. A huge volley from the large ship ends the combat, and the large ship then leaves, apparently confident
that it had destroyed what remained of the party.
The party regroups at the mansion and Wynter talks to the wolves. From them he learns that they are upset
because their cubs have been kidnapped. After a brief amount of investigating the group decides to bed down for
the evening, and Wynter strikes a deal with the wolves and buys the group and those living within Willowbrook 48
hours.
