Problems are arising for the occupants of Thornburrow. Recently the governing leader, Manik Hollensbee, has been seeking help with invading Centauri, dealing with the disappearing townsfolk, and having to regroup all hunting parties. While issues with the Centauri are being brought to the negotiating table and the townsfolk disappearances are being investigated, real fear is turning to reasons why hunting parties are being brought back to town.

Not but about four decades ago a rampant amount of lycanthropy was spreading in the region by the forceful hand of a crazed occult leader. A group of adventurers sought out this group and dealt a strong blow to the occultists with minor causalities of their own. Eventually the main den was discovered and a fierce battle ensued ending with the leader’s head being ceremoniously removed from his neck. With the swift and chaotic justice being served to these creatures, the second in command managed to slip away unnoticed. Why do I tell the reader of these events already well known? It is important to remember because of who has been sent out to deal with bringing back the hunters.

Jareg Stonecliber Swiftfoot Giantsbane Wolfstalker, has been sent out with a small group of able bodied Gnomes and Halflings to bring back our hunting parties. His involvement is what has brought the attention of many in the region as he is one of surviving members of the original adventurers who dealt with the lycanthropy. He had long since retired after his affairs so to see him back in the field has raised concern from many. Hollensbee has assured the people of the town that nothing has happened as to raise any need for real concern but some things had been brought to his attention recently that he needed Jareg’s expertise with. What these things were, he would not expand on saying he didn’t want to prematurely raise alarm if it turned out to be nothing of substance.

It seems, however, that substance came walking back to town with Jareg’s return. A beaten and battered party of four where once stood seven came bearing burdensome news. After taking one of their members to the artificer’s guild to be fitted with a new limb to replace one that had been removed, Jareg and the others immediately sought out Hollensbee to share his findings. It was the next day that news of his findings was presented to the masses and to this journal. It seems Jareg was sent to investigate claims of remains being found near Moonlight Circle where once the group of lycanthropes had set up their own base of operations. It was hoped nothing would come of it but Hollensbee wanted to be certain in case action needed to be taken. What was found was just as bad and potentially worse.

Jareg found nothing but old, dried blood before moving on to continue searching out hunting parties when he and his men ran across a group of adventurers known throughout the realm for their dealings in Camorr, Stone’s Ridge, and Anarya. Jareg disclosed the information of what he’d found and also made the group aware that Hollensbee was interested in having them help with other matters. They then departed each other the next day. It seemed it would have been more fortuitous had they not parted ways as Jareg and his men were set upon by a group of vampire spawn who surprised he and his men, killing one and taking the rest back to a ruined fortress resting in the woods a days journey from Moonlight Circle. It was there that his men were slowly taken away and, forgive me reader for the gruesome details, but they were then torn apart to be feasted on by these vile, Godsless creatures. As Jareg and his men waited each for their turn to meet the same fate as the others, it seemed fate intervened once again having them meet up once again with the adventuring group from the forest.

“We were saved, though I’m not sure how safe we felt.” Jareg says. He claims that one of the members who rescued them, an Elf name Ellifaine diplomat of Falvindar, may in fact be of the vampiric persuasion herself coming to them in the guise of mist and slowly taking on her true form. “She claimed she was not but her abilities to change to mist and the harshness of her nature leaves me in question.” He then went on to proclaim that she may in fact be telling the truth and he is renown for his ability with lycanthropy not vampirism.

For the time being that is not the biggest issue at hand. Hollensbee has set a mandatory curfew in hopes to dissuade any further problems involving vampirism and has set a stricter circle for hunters within the region so that they can make a quick escape back to town if the need arises.