How The Wicked Fall - Chapter 1

This adventure takes place after a group of adventurers (the players) have failed to capture the Falkovnian minister of Science, Dr. Vorstman. (perhaps this adventure will once get chronicled in the future...)
The failure led to a hasty retreat from Falkovnia with the help of a soldier, an old contact of Joran.
During their adventure, Joran and Aren got injected with a lycanthrophy inducing serum, the exact effects of which are not yet truly known...

The events of the past few days whirl in your memories. How you all came together, then fought against the vile Dr. Vjorn Horstman, and how you came to meet the young soldier who was under Joran's command. The same young man who then helped you escape the city of Silbervas and the lands of Falkovnia for the northern lands of Necropolis. Both Joran and the young soldier reasoned that this would be the best place to go, as Falkovnia has never managed to successfully invade Necropolis in the five times it's tried. Some of you indeed remember hearing of the horrific war stories that allegedly occured here. Just soldier stories though, some of them couldn't possibly be real...
You are all in Martira Bay now, a city on the northwestern coast of Necropolis. It has taken you a few days to get here, on horses that the young soldier smuggled for you. You are staying in a cheap inn in the South District of the city. One of the more notable things about this sprawling city (other than the fact that it *isn't* ruled by a tyrannical dictator) is the pressence of other races. You have all seen small people like Wynne known collectively as Halflings, the swarthy dark-skinned people known as Half-Vistani, a few known to be Gnomes, and even one of the fey races called the Elves.

Richard will start practicing his magic act again. Once he's back in practice, he will try to find some small venues where he can put on the show.

Joran is a bit down for a few days after the bad outcome of their adventure.
He is brooding on ways to get back at the minister, but going back to Falkovnia is not an option.
He is quite forward in his opinion on the Falkovnians though, casting about his opinions in search of sympathetic souls, though he seems to avoid the 'demihumans'.
Quite some time he can be found in a nearby church , where he spends time praying for his soul and offering the priests his help in 'destroying evil' (which quite often seems to refer to the Falkovnia threat).

Ash spends her time practising swordplay. She found a human teacher to help her out. She tends to avoid Most demihuman, but especially elves. When asked why she simply says that she finds humans to be more loyal and trustworthy.

Natty will first find out if there are any wild "beasties" that need to be killed. In the absence of a target helpful to the town, Natty will Hunt dear or some other big game in the area, and share the meat with the group.

Wynne is relieved to be in a town where demihumans are not persecuted. He attempts to make contact with other halfings and gather how things are for the race here in Martira Bay.
He spends the first days going over his maps. He purchases some new inks, pens, and some fine parchment. He takes all of the scraps and sketches and compile them into one nice, ornate map. His goal is to map out as much of the sewers as possible, and show the entry/exit points in the town. He tries to see if he can overlay the sewer map onto the town map. After he gets something of any worth, he makes multiple copies and sends several to the Mordent Cartographical Society.

It's been a number of weeks since your ordeals in Falkovnia. You are all gathered around a table in a small ale house, having found lodgings of some sort throughout the city for the time being. Discussing what has happened to all of you is the natural topic of conversation.
Wynne explains how he has found lodging with a local family of Halflings. There are some of the wee folk scattered throughout this city, as well as other races. He pays the family and helps out with chores to stay with them. He has also boughten his new mapping equipment and turned his maps of your previous adventure into quite a good-looking piece of work. He also explains that he has sent copies to the Mordent Cartogrpahic Society and otherwise has been going out with Natty a lot.
Natty has been living in the city and without, hunting the wild beasts and animals that prowl the wild. He has been paying for his lodgings and meals with the pelts that he gets from the creatures he has killed. But other than normal forest animals, the only noteworthy creatures he has found and beaten has been some very large snakes, bats, and spiders.
Ash has been in the city, though none of you has seen her as much as anyone else. She says that she has been practicing her swordsmanship with the Harbor Master, an accomplished warrior who doesn't charge her too much for lessons.
Joran has been doing work with the Church of the Overseer in Martira Bay. He seems brooding and edgy now, and it may have something to do with the full moon approaching.
Richard has been practicing his magic act around town, and all of you have even watched it at least once. He seems to do allright, though he isn't perfect. He seems to make ends meet however, as his clothes are still in good repair and he talks about staying at one of the "better" hostels.
Aren has been silent and cagey ever since returning from Falkovnia. He seems as if something is weighing heavily upon his mind, and doesn't comment much except to say that he has been keeping busy and is staying in town.
Well, it's now time to leave, the alehouse is closing. You all get up to leave and exit quitely. Standing out in the street you are all about to go your seperate ways when a tall dark shadow steps out from a nearby alley. A raspy voice whispers in the darkness...
"I have found you at last."

A dark hooded figure with white hair steps out from the shadows. Some of you may recognize him.
"I was wondering if perchance you may have something of mine?"

"A hat perchance?"

Ash says, "Who the hell are you? We ain't got anything of yours, not like we are a bunch of thieves or murderers" Ash looks nervous and fades to the back of the group, away from the stranger.

Natty takes a defensive stance as always, looking for ambushes...

"Easy, I am just an old friend of theirs. I assure you that I am not nearly as dangerous to my friends as I am to my enemys."

"I do! I'm pleased to be able to return it to you! Your hat is back at my room!"

"Thank you for taking such good care of it. Hats in that style are so hard to find. Also, It keeps the sun off of my face while still maintaining my periphrial vision, unlike this hood. "

"Well, I'll be damned... what have you been up to all this time?"

"Your peripra... what? ah... never mind."
Joran eyes Raven with mixed feelings, not sure whether to welcome the enigmatic man in their mids or not.
"We thought you were dead." He says at last.
"Some foul beast slaughtered everyone of the dark men... We thought you went down too. But here you are. You will have to excuse me if it sounds like I am feeling suspicious..."
He grins sarcastically.
"...because I am"

"After I left you at the mansion, I went and colapsed the stairs to keep the beastmen from coming up. However, I couldn't return back the way I came and just barly managed to escape with my life.
After the battle, I managed to come across an old "hunter". He took me in and instructed me and helped me refine my skills.
When I was well again, I began to research the possability of any vampires in the area. I heard a rumor that you had also survived the battle and I tracked you down to this tavern. "

You are all standing in the deepening shadows outside the small alehouse when out of a nearby alley a curt scream issues forth! Whipping around, you can all see a woman run from the alley, he clothes slightly torn and shoulder bloodied. She has a look of horror upon her face and as soon as she sees all of you she alters her course to move towards the rest of you. You can see in the darkness behind her a humanoid form, a thug perhaps following her. "Help me please!" she half-yells as she runs towards you.

You are all standing in the deepening shadows outside the small alehouse when out of a nearby alley a curt scream issues forth! Whipping around, you can all see a woman run from the alley, he clothes slightly torn and shoulder bloodied. She has a look of horror upon her face and as soon as she sees all of you she alters her course to move towards the rest of you. You can see in the darkness behind her a humanoid form, a thug perhaps following her.
"Help me please!" she half-yells as she runs towards you.

Joran initially takes a step back, then he masters himself and draws his sword.
He moves forward to interpose himself between the woman and the thug.

Aren backs Joran (and whoever else is moving forward with melee weapons) up with drawn pistol.

Raven steps back into the shadows and trys to outflank the agressor.

Natty will yell, "Stop or Die!"
If the thug doesn't stop Natty will shoot him with arrows.

Richard will open his arms to receive the woman and comfort her. "Um...there, there. there." etc.

Wynne steps near Natty, to the right just a bit. He takes to one knee, pulls out a short bow and arrow (turning the bow if necessary to avoid the ground).
Wynne knocks one arrow and lays several more on the ground next to himself. He pulls back, training on the agressor, and mutters to himself, "Bastard."
Wynne waits for the "twang" of Natty's bow. With that he will let fly.

Everyone moves at once to help the woman and stop the thug. At Natty's command to halt, the form does stop, and it seems to be watching you, sizing you all up.
You get the distinct impression that it is looking to each of you in turn, looking for a sign of weakness, although it has yet to step forward. A low hiss emenates from the alley, though whether it's from the thug or something else you can't quite tell.
The woman comes to a halt before entering Richard's arms, seeming to regard him with a strange expression, something between surprise, suspiscion, and derision. Then she turns back without a word to watch her aggressor.

Raven waits for someone to make a move.

Joran steps closer, his sword at the ready, but not yet swinging.
His eyes squint, trying to see who is hiding in the shadows, and whether he is holding some animal of sorts.
"Reveal yourself, scum!" he bellows.
"or do I have to come and get you?"

Richard steps forward slightly and attempts to do the "daggers magically appear in my hands" trick.

I continue to cover the "thug" with my pistol, but I keep one eye on the woman also. I don't like her reaction.

Wynne continues to hold his line of sight on the street thug, waiting for someone to make a move.

Natty waits for the thug (or anyone else) to attack. In response to the woman's posturing will prepare mentally for the posibility that she is a decoy and may attack. And as Natty has a point blank range he should be able to still hit her if she attacks the party.

Suddenly with a horrid snarl, the assailant leaps out of the alleymouth, directly at Joran! Joran reacts first, swinging his sword into the man's side, cutting a deep gash and knocking him to the ground.
It's at this moment, that the light from the tavern nearby illuminates your attacker clearly...and you wish it hadn't!
The creature has dried, stretched gray skin across it's skeletal frame. It's eyes burn with a hatred you have not seen before. It's fingers end in sharp claws and it's mouth is filled with small fangs. The wound on it's side does not drip blood, but a blackish liquid instead oozes from the wound onto the ground. As it looks up a rasp-like tongue runs across it's lips for a moment and then it leaps to it's feet, lunging once again at Joran!
An arrow from Natty's bow sends the thing back against the wall, where it hisses in anger. But before it can go any further, a large blast sounds, and a hole almost magically opens in it's shoulder, the result of Aren's gunshot. The creature seems about to drop, but instead tries to limp away when Richard steps forward, and with a flourish he stabs at the creature, taking it to the ground. At this, Raven steps out of the shadows and with a quick swing of a kukri blade, he beheads the foul beast. It's at this moment that the woman whispers "Oh no!"
You all turn to look, and see Wynne lying on the ground, his skin white and covered in sweat, shaking and mumbling with his eyes closed.

Joran whirls around, his eyes wild in rage and confusion.
"What was that!?"
He seems posed for another attack, peering into the shadows, swinging his sword.
"They can come from everywhere..."he mutters, more to himself than to his companions. "Legions of them... dead... dead dead... wherever you look..."
He slowly turns on his heels seeming to flinch at every movement in the shadows.
As he sees Wynne's condition, he shouts "Get away from him! He may be one of them!"

Raven pulls a rag out from under his cloak and wipes the ooze off of his blade. As he does this, he kneels down to get a better look at the thing.

Since Raven's already investigating the body, Aren reloads his gun and then makes sure that Joran doesn't attempt to hurt Wynne.
"Now Joran, just calm down. I highly doubt that Wynne is one of 'them'. Richard, Natty; do either of you know anything we can do to help Wynne?"
Also, someone should keep an eye on that woman...