fiction

Felkirk Streets

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Felkirk Streets is where we find ourselves for this weeks adventure and combat and with danger happening inside an old warehouse and on the street it warranted a different map for tonight’s adventure.

So stick to the shadows, or stick to the light if you’re feeling a bit spooked out in tonight’s adventure map!

Felkirk Streets

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Felkirk Streets – Gridded – Created in Inkarnate.

The streets are wide enough for foot traffic and wagons along this part of the streets near the docks as its where many merchants store their goods before sale. However not all of them appear to be used for the storage of goods and one has a few nasty surprises hidden within. A few rooms decked out with beds to house the injured or sleeping, barrels of supplies and a plan for the next part of the attack can all be found within this small warehouse.

But behind a locked door there is much more as the party find out that those roaming the streets have been holding something back – their leader. On the streets there are a few alleys to hide in, fight in or make a desperate escape while crates and such can help or hinder the parties plans depending on what they are trying to do. A few lanterns are currently left on however if discretion is needed they could be extinguished very easily and swiftly. Or, used to flush out more of the assailants hiding in the area.

A fun and simple one tonight with a few different textures used for the stone streets and for the wood flooring inside the mostly x-ray view of the building. A few sources of light with directional light to emphasise the buildings blocking view with the slate roofs taking the show here.

Crates and barrels make up the rest of the main stuff with a few sleeping rolls added in there to show the room where the party believe the trouble is coming from A few carts to add depth and scale and that’s about all that it was. The night filter across it all to darken it and highlight its a night time adventure and that see’s it done.

Felkirk Streets – created in Inkarnate.

Thanks for joining for another map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Forward Infiltration Base

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Tonight as the party rush back to where Lieutenant Cinella found them at the scene of the attack from the masked group they get pulled into finding the forward infiltration base before they can make it back to the inn. But they should be fine, after all its just another Wednesday for the party.

So tighten your laces, secure the straps on your bags as we rush off to find the source of these attacks in tonight’s adventure!

Forward Infiltration Base

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Forward Infiltration Base -created in WordPress.

As the party rushed back towards the Lost Anchor Inn Cinella’s fiery mood diminished as she got further away from the Captain of the Nightwatch. As she hurried ahead with her weapon drawn she, and a few of her men, kept an eye out forwards looking for any flash of dark cloth, any whisper of masked footstep or any other sign of where the infiltrators could be.

As they drew nearer to the Lost Anchor Inn she looked behind her at the party and stopped at the edge of an alley on Market street – where a lot of merchants stored their wares. ‘I really think we could have used your help in finding the location of their forward infiltration base, where ever they are operating out of in the city. I must be close by as they move around so quickly and quietly and very few patrols come back unscathed from this part of the city.’ she opened her mouth to say more but the hushed footsteps of padded shoes rushed past the entrance of the alley where they had stopped.

Stopping the conversation they glanced towards the entrance to see four masked and darkly cloaked individuals rushing past the entrance eastward down the street towards the docks. Rushing to the entrance they looked down the street but failed to see where they had gone which meant a few things. One, she was not wrong – they were situated nearby, and Two. It was really close nearby.

As she pulled out a darker coloured cloak from a bag on her hip she covered up her guards armour and stepped into the street – leaving her spear behind to walk forwards with a short blade instead. The hideout, this Forward Infiltration base was somewhere along this street and if they could take it out they would be able to stop the attacks on the city.

Looking back towards the party Cinella ushered them in closer. ‘It’s a lot for me to ask this, I could loose my station for it. But I fear if we don’t move now we may lose them and Tyr knows we could use the help.’ Before the party could reply a door opened to a shop near by and a man in dark clothes slipped out of the a nearby alley and started to walk down the street and past them. It looks like they may have found a way to find exactly where they were meeting if they could be discrete in following this individual.

Thanks for dropping by for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget as we passed the midway point we have maps and monsters, well creature stat blocks left for this week. So make sure you don’t forget to come back the last few remaining days this week to stay up to date with what’s happening at my tabletop. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Counter Strike

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Tonight we meet the head of the night watch, well the new head of the night watch as they prepare a counter strike against the infiltrators who are currently sewing chaos through the streets. But while they may be old enough that does not mean that they are wise enough to correctly act in this station of power.

So prepare for trouble and make it, singular, as we dash forward in tonight’s adventure!

Counter Strike

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Lieutenant Cinella Tanner – created in wordpress.

As the final assailant drop the sound of rushing hard-bottomed boots and clanking gear could be heard rushing towards them. Turning the corner came the vision of many ready swords, shields and people that formed a patrol of the nights watch. Looking over the party they assessed the fallen infiltrators across the ground before them.

A young woman walked forward to greet them ‘This your doing eh?’ she said pointing her spear at the limp forms of the masked individuals at their feet. She was maybe early twenties with a short bob of blonde hair that finished just above her brown eyebrows. A scar poked out from under her fringe and cut down across her right eye finishing at her jawbone which spoke of a wound that never quite healed correctly. As she judged the parties reply she nodded once. ‘It’d be best if you come with us. The new Captain will want to see you while he organises a counter strike.’

As the party hurried off with the night guard around them they were always watching for new signs of danger. A whisper of cloth here, a touch of leather and stone here, hurried whispers of fear elsewhere. There was signs that the fighting was not over yet and even worse, that the fighting was escalating elsewhere with explosions, horn blows and the cries of the dying from elsewhere in the city. ‘I am Lieutenant Cinella Tanner. We have suffered some pretty big loses from this brazen attack and we don’t know anything about them. You’re the first to have fought off and won against the assailants from what we have heard.’ she began as they turned onto a main street and marched their way to a barricade in the middle of the street. ‘Our own barracks was hit first. It claimed the life of Captain Jez Harker who died trying to get people in the locked up out even as the flames tore at the building.’

The few minutes that followed were quiet to say the least as they rushed towards the makeshift barracks. A tall man with a shot of silver hair was yelling loud enough that even outside of the parmentier that the party could tell he was beyond furious. ‘I don’t care how you do it! Get the rats out of my city now!’

Cinella looked at the party. ‘That’s the new captain, Svene Unwik. He’s been ordered to take control and get the streets back under our control. Give me a moment.’ she said as she darted forward. The party followed a few paces behind, let through the gates as Cinella had announced them in advance. But as they approached where the captain was they couldn’t even try to not overhear what was being said.

‘Lieutenant Tanner, there is no way that I am letting a bunch of civilians get involved. I don’t care what they are capable of, I will not speak to them. You are ordered to escort them back to where you found them and get back to patrolling the streets like what your duty is.’ the man spoke with such passion and speed that he did not give any chance for rebuttal or interruption. When they heard Cinella respond quietly it immediately met with a ‘Am I clear Lieutenant?’

Looking defeated Cinella marched out and strode past the party, her eyes furious. ‘Come with me.’ is all she said as she marched back to the streets. ‘I’ve got orders to escort you back to your accommodation.’ is all she said as she stormed off back the way they came.

Thanks for visiting tonight for another update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights this week to make sure that you don’t miss anything that happens with this adventure. And, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Bestial Lorel

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Tonight we have a new kind of fight night for our party where they encounter Bestial Lorel. While not like an average encounter the idea here isn’t to kill Lorel but to try and work out what is causing her to be so aggressive and bestial.

So this week sharpen your wits, pay attention to the battle as blades will only get in your way with tonight’s encounter!

Bestial Lorel

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Bestial Lorel – Created in Tetra-cube.

The party open the door to the queens chamber with the guard standing next to them visibly shaking. The sounds from the other side of the door were enough to even turn a stronger man and the scene beyond was just as bad. Ripped carpets, ruin books strewn about the large room and the windows letting in pools of near-blue moonlight. It took a moment for the party to spot the queen but as she crept forward on all fours gone was the woman they had met that morning and in her place was a beast.

Her manservant had said that she had lycanthropy, she was in fact a werewolf but able to control her aggressive wolfen side much like the rest of the royal family from her kingdom. But the creature that stalked in front of them was not the same as what had been described. Savage and feral were the only words to describe the queen as her elongated fingernails scratched and click-clacked on the marble tiles of her room.

While she moved much quicker than humanly possible and when she wasn’t moving she was hiding in the rafters, in the shadows or somewhere just out of sight of the party. As she dashed from place to place to get a better angle on the party before unleashing a flurry of painful blows the silver necklace she had on glowed bright blue when exposed to moonlight. As she darted to attack, the moment before her elongated nails were about to strike the party they swore they could hear the necklace itself howling.

Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for more updates and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Queens Den

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Tonight we look at the Queens Den where the objective of this map isn’t outright combat, sort of, but its a tug of war with a beast and a queen all in one.

So get ready to go wild for tonight’s adventure map!

The Queens Den

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The Queens Den – Created in Inkarnate.

The open space and lack of lighting that’s available will have the party shifting between dim light and darkness frequently. The ability to hide in the dark pits of the room will have their adversary able to get the drop on them, figuratively and literally as the ceilings and its rafters are reasonably high here. There is some cover and debris around the room but this will likely only hinder the party as they are practically fighting a cornered animal in this weeks adventure.

A pretty simple map tonight with some re-scaling of times to get them looking just about right for the right proportions for the map tonight. Mist over the reduced sized grass gives an elevated feel while the light gives a sense of space beyond the open windows.

Mixture or ripped carpets and whole carpets speak of the fractured mind of the occupant and layering them gives a bit more depth that you may expect in a more lavish room in a castle. A bit smaller than 60ft each way for this room speaks of luxury without going too over board with it tonight.

Thanks for joining for another map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Beast Within

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The beast within is something that we agree most good characters would struggle with at some point. Yet we don’t normally see Royalty struggle with such a problem… Wait yes we do! So tonight we have the classic trope of a royal struggling with the beast within.

So be on your toes as we get a bit feral in tonight’s adventure!

The Beast Within

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The Beast Within – created in wordpress.

After leaving Queen Lorel to her lunch, the party got busy asking around the castle for any more information that they can get on what the queen was suffering from, what the cure was and what else could be causing the problems that she is facing now. Yet despite all the rumours, from those willing to spill them that is, they all agree that they don’t know what it was that she had or know what is going wrong.

But they do get a name, Brother Shaemus, the man who was hurried into the castle, spent some time with the queen and then left without many more words. While the party request help finding Brother Shaemus from the guards they are crossing near the servants quarters where they hear a howl of pain. Rushing to the scene they find the healer from yesterday, Brother Daryl, and the maid, Karlynn, leaving a room at the end of the hall.

‘Well it looks like you’re just in time. The potion wore off and Tolf is awake.’ Brother Daryl said with a weak smile. Thanking the healer and the maid the party entered the room. Tolf was sitting up against the head of his bed and looked tired at the party. ‘I guess you’re here to make sure I’m not some frothing beast too. I already told Brother Shaemus that I was fine and that I wasn’t some animal. But you know how those healers can get.’ he said as he reached a shaky hand towards a cup.

After the party explained what they where doing he looked at them worriedly. ‘It wasn’t her fault. Her Majesty was not like this before that man healed her and then after that she became wilder. Queen Lorel is from a neighbouring kingdom and I came with her here. We were worried that her affliction would carry to the child and that we wanted to treat it discretely. But I don’t think that the healer, Shaemus, knew what he was doing. She may not appear like she is still afflicted but a man knows.’ he added. When the party looked at him confused he realised.

‘Oh… You didn’t know she was a werewolf?’

Thanks for dropping by for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget as we passed the midway point we have maps and monsters, well creature stat blocks left for this week. So make sure you don’t forget to come back the last few remaining days this week to stay up to date with what’s happening at my tabletop. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Queen Lorel

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Tonight we kick things off with Queen Lorel being spoken too while the manservant is resting after another bout of healing. But what will the party work out is going on with queen Lorel as she battles some new affliction after being cured from a disease so recently?

So find your best tunics, clothes and finery as we meet with the queen in tonight’s adventure!

Queen Lorel

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Queen Lorel – Created in wordpress.

As the party entered the hallway where the Manservant, Tolf, was meant to be found and they were stopped by a stern looking maid and a man who was obviously a healer of some skill.

‘If you’re here for Tolf then he’s asleep. The King should know better than to disturb a man thats resting.’ the stern maid snapped. The healer placed a hand on her shoulder in a kind manner.

‘Tolf is resting, I gave him some medicine to give him a dreamless sleep as the nightmares have gotten worse. Since the incident he has been unable to sleep and his dreams are filled with images of a beast in the halls of the castle. He calls out in his sleep but remembers very little when he wakes, just the feeling of claws on his skin and glowing eyes.’ the healer shook his head and looked comfortingly towards the maid.

‘He should be well enough to take visitors tomorrow after the potion has worn off.’

The party then turned their attention to the next person who the king had suggested, the Queen herself. Ascending the steps the party again admired the fine decorations that lined the halls and walkways as they followed the guard in front of them. They were so lost in the pleasantness of the room that when the man spoke they were startled. ‘Now stay behind me, don’t make sudden movements and remember, she is still the Queen.’ he said as he stared at them. After waiting for a few moments he opened the door that they had stopped at.

Inside the furniture looked worse for ware as several smaller chairs had been clawed to pieces or simply shattered. Bits of timber and cloth littered the room and it wasn’t for a few nervous heartbeats until they saw the queen. She sat in a relatively intact chair in the corner of the room where it was darkest and watched them as they entered the room. ‘Your majesty, we have some travellers, adventurers, here to ask some questions.’

The queens demeanour shifted slightly before she stood and walked forward. The teal dress she wore was accented with a brown tunic that whilst being plain was obviously well made and fit for the queen. ‘So despite me being cured of this disease that no one will tell me what I had I now have these interlopers coming to laugh at me, the mad queen who loses herself and attacks her servants?’ she snapped with the last word punctuated by a snapping growl sound that the party had heard something similar before. After a moment her eyes shifted to something softer again.

‘I apologise. I assure you I am not normally this ill mannered or aggressive. I don’t remember much during the incidents,’ she said as she looked and gestured around the room at the broken furniture and cloth. ‘but I do remember the feeling of being trapped, cornered and angry.’ she smiled weakly, a silver necklace around her neck glinting in the light that came from the windows that nearly had no curtains remaining on them.

After a few more questions, some of which she was more aggressive and snappy with her tone and others she was more polite and queen-like the party were ushered out of the room. The room looked like a wild animal had run rampage in there but the queen admitted to doing it herself during the fits of rage that she was getting.

As they opened the door the guard looked back at the queen who made a noise. ‘Seth, can you get the cooks to send up whatever they are making for lunch, it smells delightful.’ the guard nodded, looking a bit confused before closing the door, baring it from the outside and heading down stairs. It wasn’t until the party had reached the bottom of the stairs that they could smell the roasted mutton wafting down from the kitchens.

Thanks for visiting tonight for another update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights this week to make sure that you don’t miss anything that happens with this adventure. And, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The King and His Men

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So tonight, and this week, we have another adventure inspired by a song and we kick off with The King and His Men. What would someone do for love is a question that gets asked often, but not many people would go this far.

So sit back, grab a coffee as we listen to the plea of a broken heart in tonight’s adventure!

When the rumours of the queen of Blotvia reach the party they set off to hear the kings plea for aid. But what they hear, what they discover and what they see leave them with more questions than answers.

Time is running short and they soon find themselves in danger with no way of fighting back. What will come of the party or the kingdom if they don’t act quickly, with discretion and without committing the most heinous of crimes – treason.

The King and His Men

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The King and His Men – created in WordPress.

The party were shown into a long hall as the guards escorted them towards the kings meeting hall. Fine tapestries and several portraits of the young king and his wife hung from the walls revealed how truly happy and in love they were. The party had heard that the queen had become erratic, irrational and extremely aggressive where the king had ordered no maid or manservant to tend to her lest they suffer her ire.

Yet the portraits did not show the queen in such light, that’s where the king had sent out requests via the guilds in the land for anyone who could to come and assist him in an urgent quest. With the state of the queen and the kings call for aid from adventurers rather than his own guard made the situation very clear to the party – there was something wrong with the queen.

As they stood by the doors they heard the stamping of feet and cursing from the other side of the door. Moments later it opened to reveal another group of four adventurers, much like their own group, being shown out of the kings hall and towards the front gate of the castle. The two adventuring parties exchanged glances before the calmest of the lot mouthed ‘good luck‘ before the party were ushered into the hall.

Before them was a large room that as opulently decorated that led to a few cushioned chairs that sat around a table. In the furthest seat the King sat with a few guards standing a few feet behind him looking sternly at the party. ‘Please, come sit.’ the young king asked and gestured warmly enough that the party, encouraged, took a seat before the king.

‘Yes, I have a good feeling about you. Something in your eyes unlike those we just sent out speaks volumes of trustworthiness.’ he began, the guards that had escorted them through the castle breathed a deeper sigh of relief. ‘I have a urgent question, something of such magnitude and secrecy that I can’t trust any one else other than those in this room with the details of the rest.’ he paused to study their faces. Convinced he thoughtfully nodded before pouring himself a cup of tea.

‘My wife is with child, the next heir to the kingdom of Blotvia is growing steadily within my wife’s belly and I could not be more overjoyed.’ his face was a mixture of emotion, part joy and hope the other crushing despair. ‘However, she,’ he paused stirring his tea, ‘is not feeling herself as of late. I have had the best physicians, healers and sages in the land try to work out what’s going on and we believed that we had cured what had ailed her. A disease which has now retreated fully from her body which we can rest in peace knowing will not rear its ugly head again.’ he paused looking nervous.

‘But since the cure she has become unsettled, aggressive even which is not something that anyone would expect from my beloved Lorel. You may have heard the rumours and I can say that many of them are untrue. However I have requested that our maids and manservants do not enter her chamber without guards or myself as there was an incident where she attacked a manservant and bit him quite severely. He said that she was acting more like an Animal than a person but the moment that he called for help she came to her senses, screamed for him to leave her and retreated to her bed. He has been receiving healing from our surgeons but he may be a good place to start as I don’t believe that Lorel would act like that.’

He looked nervously at them. ‘As her health and her aggression appear to be tied I fear for our child as well. I could not love another as I do Lorel nor can I bare the thought of her being in pain or sick. So I need to find out what is causing this temporary affliction and cure it before it affects her, our child or someone else gets hurt.’

‘Oh, before you ask. The court healer did not tell me but she has passed all checks, magical and mundane to show that she is now disease free in case you were concerned you may contract something.’

Thanks for visiting for another start of the week adventure kick off night with the King and His Men. Inspired by a song that gets sung way too frequently by the household this weeks adventure is a race against the clock before it turns into a murder mystery. Don’t forget that this is just the start of the week so make sure you don’t forget to come back each day this week to stay up to date with the adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Captain of the Shadow

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Tonight we reveal the final part of this weeks adventure with the Captain of The Shadow making its appearance. Thwarted but not down this construct, the heart of the ship itself demands to be fed and so it is not content enough with the scraps that its ropes can bring it. When you want a job done right, do it yourself.

So rally the crew, check their anchor points are secure as we go toe to toe with the captain with tonight’s bonus encounter!

Captain of the Shadow

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As the last harpoon snapped free, the ropes severed and writhing like dying serpents before sinking into the waves against the hull. For a brief moment a silence fell over the sea as the Stardrinker trembled, her wood groaning from the strain of battle, yet she remained afloat. The crew staggered, exhausted with their bodies aching, but somehow alive.

For a moment, it seemed as though they had won. And then the ship itself, The Shadow screamed. It was not the cry of a living thing, but of wood and rigging, of agony bound in cursed planks and of rage. The sea around it churned, dark waves pulling in unnatural waves, as if the ocean itself was trying to consume the monstrous vessel.

Then, it rose. The sound of chains and wood banging against the deck of The Shadow. Despite the ship being splintered and broken from its attempted consumption of the Stardrinker it tore itself open towards the smaller ship creating a gaping maw of wood, metal and frayed rope. A gaping wound, revealing a pulsing core of blackened wood, rotting fabric and rusted metal writhing tendrils of decay, a force that had long since lost any semblance of purity. This was surely its heart, the source of its hunger, the cursed soul of the ship itself.
From the abyss within, a figure emerged, pulling itself out of the seething mass of corrupted energy.

A human figure, a captain, or perhaps what had once been a captain, its form barely holding together, flesh replaced by ropes, bones replaced by decaying wood and armed with rusted blades of bent and torn metal. It dragged a leg that had was missing the rope – burnt and severed by damage already inflicted on the ship, but the rest of its body wrapped in the same cursed rigging that had once ensnared the crew and the fabric of any of the crew that were unable to be saved. Its eyes or where its eyes should have been glowed a deep, unsettling blue, the spectral remnants of the souls it had consumed.

And as it pulled itself out of the core the light faded and the ship stilled completely. The true battle had began.

The Shadows Captain – created in Tetra-cube.
  • The Captain of The Shadow fights with unnatural speed, its blade’s moving faster than any mortal sailor.
  • When the captain takes damage the Ship seems to sink further into the waves, bits of wood falling off.
  • The rest of the Crew, except that party, stand as if hypnotised as the cries of other lost sailors resonate from where the core was – some even appear to take steps towards the core itself.
  • Echoes of the lost crew emerge – spectral hands grabbing at the living, crying out for salvation but hungering for their freedom in ways more terrifying than any pirate they’ve faced on the waves.
  • Some of the spectres may look like the pirates they faced when they first started their journey.

Thanks for visiting tonight for the last update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the end of week zine which will be a big one. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Swarm of Animated Ropes

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Welcome to another Friday fight night where we have a swarm of animated ropes to cut through in this weeks encounter. While not the most difficult or lethal of creatures to encounter this construct is still deadly and will pose a challenge to several parties out there – just add more animated ropes!

So sharpen your blades as we get ready to cut our way through tonight’s encounter!

Swarm of Animated Ropes

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Swarm of Animated Ropes – Created in Tetra-cube.

The swarm of animated ropes is as much a part of the haunted ship, The Shadow, as it is a construct of its own. Formed from the rope and rigging that has left to rot on the ship it exists only to pull the new victims of The Shadow aboard its deck and towards the opening to the hold where the ship will feed on the essence of those caught.

While the ropes may not be overly durable individually as a swarm they form a resilient mass that makes it harder for people to deal with one by one. However a well placed burning hands or even fireball (not advised on a ship though) could see the end to these constructs swiftly.

Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for more updates and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe