the wolves of welton - a single-session adventure

7/25/2019 The Wolves of Welton - A Single-Session Adventure

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T h e W o l v e s o f W e l t o n

A 2nd-3rd Level Adventure for Dungeons & Dragons 5E

Produced by Winghorn Press

Summary

Its been a long time since the people of Weltonhave worried about anything more frighteningthan sheep ticks or a late frost, but a now a packof strangely determined wolves is drivingfarmers from their fields and spiriting awayentire flocks in the middle of the night.

With food supplies running low and theirsorcerer-in-residence nowhere to be found, thevillage council sends out a desperate plea forbrave adventurers to destroy the beasts for good.

Is the job as easy as a walk in the woods, or isthere more to the Wolves of Welton than mereanimal cunning? There's only one way tofind out...

Adventure HooksThere are two main ways to turn the partytowards Welton. The first of these is to simplyhave the village feature as a stop on the road tonext major adventure. The other is to make theparty aware of the villages call for help throughan adventurers guild, NPC ally or other localinformation source.

If using the latter option, let it be known that theWelton village council is offering a 800gp rewardto anyone who can wipe out a pack of wolves.

Any NPC will note that this is an extremelygenerous reward considering its apparentdifficulty. Whether they view this as tempting orsuspicious will depend on their disposition.

~ 1 ~


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Scene 1: Welcome to theWelton WolfpackThe partys introduction to the wolves comesbefore they even enter Welton. When the sceneopens they are still travelling through the hillsto the west of the village, whose neatwhite-walled buildings stand out among thegreen grass in the valley below.

Around 150ft ahead of them is a slight bend inthe road where it passes between an outcrop ofrocks and the borders of a mossy woodland. Asthey approach they see a pair of men driving asmall flock of sheep through the gap with thehelp of four sheepdogs.

The first indication that anything is amiss comes

when the dogs prick up their ears and startfrantically barking. The men immediately pulllong wooden clubs from their belts and startlooking about, clearly distressed.

In the blink of an eye, lean grey shapes burst outfrom both sides of the road, all launchingthemselves at sheep with incredible speed. EightWolves(MM p241)are taking part in the attack.

Assuming the players wish to do anything otherthan watch the fight from a distance, roll upinitiative and start the encounter with theplayers starting at a distance of 150ft from theaction.

Once the fight is over the injured shepherds aregrateful for the help - assuming any wasforthcoming - and ask for aid returning toWelton. They are more than happy to share localgossip (seeShaggy Wolf Stories) but will not beable to offer any real reward.

Combat TacticsThe wolves are here to steal sheep, not killshepherds - they certainly dont want to fighteven low-level adventurers. Half of them will

keep the shepherds distracted while the rest pickoff sheep and retreat to the west. They will nottry to kill the shepherds, but will instead bite attheir arms and legs.

When the players arrive on the scene the wolvesmay test their strength with a couple rounds ofcombat, but will quickly retreat into the woods ifit appears they are outmatched.

Shaggy Wolf Stories"Course, all this started when that sorcerer, FatherMerriksonn's brother, upped and disappeared.

Not that I'd hear a word against him, 'course, but itmakes you think, don't it..."

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"First sign something out of the usual was goin' oncame when the Petersens up on Spurrok's Hill had adozen sheep snatched from inside a barn.

"Their boy got thrashed somethin' awful for failing toclose it, but a week later the exact same thinghappened, even though old Petersen had locked uphisself!"

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"Wheatly, who sells pots, pans and ointments hereabout, was chased off his cart by a pack of wolves.Says they appeared from the trees as if by magic.

"When he went back with some village lads the

horses were gone, and so were three sacks a' thickleather he were planning to trade."

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"Old shepherd named Grimstone, up Carnby way, waswatching his flock when he heard callin' from thetrees, begging for help.

"Well, he runs off to check what was wrong but hecouldnt find so much as a gnome out there. While hewas away, guess what? Dozen sheep o' his just uppedand disappeared!"

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"Month or so ago a band of blokes from the villagewent out to hunt the wolves; track 'em back to theirden. But soon as they were in the darkest part of thewoods they were ambushed. Wasn't there myself, but

some of 'em tell of booming thunder, others of burstsof fire. Sounded like an unholy mess.

"Anyway, a halfling namedFeatherock- decentshepherd - was hurt real bad in the fight. All theothers thought he was dead. But next morning he's

found dumped on the Westly's doorstep, near thewoods.

"Poor man ain't been the same since. Tells wild tales o'voices in the night. Cracked in the head, they say."

~ 2 ~


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Scene 2: Village PeopleWelton sits on the banks of a slow-moving river,with gentle hills rising up on each side. Thehouses and shops are generally made of oak,painted bright white, and many have elaboratecarvings worked into the eaves. Wheat and

sheep farming dominate the local economy, andpeople pay much more attention to the weatherand wool prices than rumors of distant wars ordisasters.

The vast majority of the population are human,though there is a sizable minority of halflingsand a handful of dwarves. While it is by nomeans a rich village, Welton isnt poverty-stricken either.

However, observent characters will notice thatthere are more people idling in the streets than

you may expect at this time of year, and manyappear to be openly concerned and may behungry or worried about food. Unusually heavytraffic and the impact of many hooves havereduced the dirt streets to muddy quagmires inplaces.

The village offers little beyond a small generalstore and virtually nothing of interest to

outsiders other than theShepherds Crook, whichhappens to be hosting both a village councilmeeting. It's is also home to a halfling namedWillen Featherock, a traumatised victim of awolf attack

The Shepherds CrookThis ancient inn is one of the oldest and largestbuildings in the village, sitting opposite both theGrowers Hall and the Fleecers Hall. It is a

traditional inn, with a common room at thefront, a private dining and meeting room at theback and guest rooms upstairs.

With so many extra people staying in the villagethe inn is always crowded. Tanned and weather-beaten shepherds in woollen cloaks smoke long-stemmed pipes while drinking cider andmuttering amongst themselves, while smallgroups of young men and women nurse theirdrinks and mostly stay quiet.

The innkeeper is a dwarven women namedLeanor Slatebeard, who runs the bar while herhusband Banteth deals with both the kitchen

and the brewing. She will be excited if the partymentions that they are adventurers or thattheyre in the town to help with the wolfproblem, offering them a free round of drinksand a meal once theyve talked to the villagecouncil. The people in the inn will also beimpressed, though many of the old shepherds

will still remain dour and cynical.Should they ask after Featherock she will directthem to his room, though she will ask them to begentle with the poor man,

The Council MeetingThe meeting is being held in a plain room,centered around a large wooden table with eightchairs set around it. Five of the chairs are filled

with human men, one by a human woman andtwo by halflings - one male and one female.

As the party approaches they will be able to hearraised voices, and when they enter the malehalfling -Tillus Merrionof the Growers andBuyers' Association - will be bitterly arguingwith a human dressed in priestly robes -FatherMerrikson- about whether the village shouldstop exporting its grain and other food while thecrisis with the wolves remains unresolved.

Tillus reacts anrgily to any interruption, butquickly warms to the party if they identifythemselves as adventurers. If the party has notcome to the village specifically to complete thecontract, the council will try to persuade them totake the job, offering the 800gp reward, freelodging at the inn and other small favours.

The council will be able to offer detailedinformation about the wolf attacks, as well as the

rumors known to the common folk. The wolveshave been driving people out of farms andoutlying hamlets, taking entire herds of sheep aswell as cattle, pigs and chickens. They have beenacting in a way that is unusually effective, suchas ambushing shepherds as they move theirflocks, opening gates and pulling down fences.

There have always been wolves in the woods, butin the space of three months they have gonefrom a nuisance to a major threat to the village.

People have been abandoning their farms out offear, leaving the village to either stop exportingthe crops that have already been harvested andrisk bankruptcy or to go hungry.

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The council organised a posse of men to go andhunt down the wolves, but they were attacked inthe woods and driven back. Merriksonn willmention that the villages usual protector - hisbrother, a Sorcerer namedAlexi- went missingat around the same time the attacks began,forcing them to turn to professional adventurers

for aid.Should the party mention the possibility ofwerewolves, Merriksonn will point out thatthere have been several full moons since theattacks began and not one person has shown anysign of the curse, though he admits hisknowledge on the subject isnt perfect.

They believe that the wolves live in the woods tothe west of town, but are not sure. A councillorwith a tuft of wool tied to his vest will introducehimself asCorelof the Fleecers' Guild and saythat he has been working on the hills for thesbest part of forty years and is happy to answerquestions on the local environment and providegeneral support for the party.

Featherocks RoomBadly injured when the villagers sent a posse tohunt down the wolves, Featherock has been left

badly damaged by his experiences - bothmentally and physically. He is currently laid upin a room over the Shepherds Crook, where he isbeing regularly attended by Father Merrikson.

The room is small but well-appointed, with freshflowers on a dresser. A halfling lies in the bed,white-faced and soaked in his own sweat. His leftarm is bandaged, as his his right leg. He will shyaway from the party at first, but will tell themeverything he knows if they promise to believe

him.

He explains that when the posse was attacked hewas bitten badly and was trampled as the othermen fled. His memories are hazy as he drifted inand out of consciousness, but he remembersgruff voices arguing in the darkness and apowerful grip on his ankle.

If the party seem to believe his tale so far, he willhesitantly confess that the wolves weretalking,

arguing fiercely over whether they should eathim or not. Featherock then breaks down intears and refuses to say anything more.

Scene 3: Plan of AttackEssentially, the aim of this scene to have theparty find their way to the wolves' lair. There isno prescribed way for them to do this, so allowthem to be as inventive as possible.

The lair is in a hollow just the other side of the

woods that cover the hillsides to the west ofWelton.

If the party are floundering, Corel represents agood route for passing on ideas. He will suggestthat if they are confident in their tracking abilitythe party may wish to simply head out to thewestern woods and try and pick up a trail there.If they are interested in luring wolves out, he willinstead offer up his own flock as bair.

Should the party lack a tracker proficient inSurvival, he will reluctantly volunteer his ownservices (use stat block ofCommoner(PHB p345)with a Wisdom of 14 and a +4 Survival skill).

Should the party set up bait, six wolves willattack using the same combat tactics used inScene 1. If the party try and talk to them, thewolves may respond with a few words beforefleeing in confusion.

Eventually, the party should end up making a

trek into the woods, which are thick and cloggedwith undergrowth. The smell of earth and mossfilsl the air and the passage of small animalscreates a constant rustle in the bushes.Occasionally the howl of a lone wolf echoes eerilyfrom the west.

Crossing the woods takes approximately fourhours at a walking pace.

Guidelines for skill checksTracking a wolf through the woods: Wisdom(Survival) DC14, DC16 if tracks are more thaneight hours old

Tracking a wolf carrying prey through thewoods: Wisdom (Survival) DC11, DC13 if tracksare more than eight hours old

Hiding from wolves: Dexterity (Stealth)opposed by a Wolfs Wisdom (Perception) skill(+3, advantage on scent and sound)

Understanding the habits of wolves: Wisdom(Nature) DC12

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Scene 4: TheOwlbears PicnicThis scene is not strictly necessary for advancing the

plot. It can be used to add a little more combat ordepth, especially if the party did not have any

particularly meaningful encounters in Scene 3.

After two or so hours of travel through thedense undergrowth of the Western Woods, theparty begins to hear the sound of snappingtwigs and rustling leaves - something big ismaking its way towards them.

Unless they take immediate steps to hide, anOwlbear(MM p249)crashes through the bushesand sights them. Even at a glance, the party cantell that it is limping, thin and appears to be

nursing several barely-healed wounds clottedwith old, black blood. Despite its injuries, themassive beast will charge the party, letting out adeafening hoot as it does so.

The creature's many injuries have reduced itsmaximum Hit Points to 40, but otherwise it stilloperates at full effectiveness.

The mighty Owlbear is starving and desperate. Itwill charge at the easiest target it can find andwill fight until it is brought down. It will notretreat.

Should the party kill the Owlbear, they will beable to tell that the beasts prior injuries werecaused by sharp jaws. A DC12 Wisdom (Nature)check will confirm that these were indeedcaused by wolves and that the wounds appear tobe a couple of weeks old. Interestingly, there arealso scorch marks on the creatures fur.

Anybody proficient in Nature or able to pass aDC10 Wisdom check will know that its very rare

for wolves to challenge Owlbears. If theencounter occurred during the daytime, theywill also know that Owlbears are nocturnalpredators and shouldn't be out in sunlight.

1. Site of Wolf Ambush (Scene 1)

2. Welton

3. Westly's Farm

4. Wolf Den

Map of Welton & the Surrounding Area

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Scene 5: The DensDenizensThe wolves have made their den in a cavesystem on the western edge of the woods.

From the treeline it is possible to see a cave

entrance roughly 10ft wide and 10ft tall at itshighest point, set into a low cliff of grey stone. Athin plume of smoke appears to be coming froma point on the hill above the cliff, maybe 30ftback from the cave entrance.

Milling around the area are sixwolves. Someare sat around the fire, some are seeminglyworking on improving the fence, and some arein the process of tearing a sheep carcass apart.Many of the wolves appear to be wearing strips

of brightly-coloured cloth or other decorationstied about limbs or their necks.

The entire scene seems remarkably peaceful andorganised for a wolf den.

The wolves have set up tripwires at the edge ofthe treeline, requiring a DC13 Wisdom(Perception) check to spot. If the players triggerthese they set off bone noisemakers.

The Back DoorThe plume of smoke mentioned above is comingfrom a hole in the cave ceiling. It is roughly 30ftback from the cave entrance and is just about bigenough for a small creature to squeeze through.

The hole opens into the far right cave chamber

(see map) and is 15ft off the ground, directlyabove the fire.

Should the party listen in, they will hearFlameandBolthaving an argument over the future ofthe pack. Flame is angrily ranting about theappearance of the adventuring party and that itproves that they need to be more aggressive. Shebelieves they should start killing more humansand halflings in a bid to speed up their retreatfrom the area.

Bolt, however, argues in extremely soft tonesthat it means they should do the exact opposite.He wants conduct a few more small-scale raidsand then disappear from the area, movingfurther into the wilderness.

The argument will last for some time before thepair move out into the main cave complex.

~ 6 ~

Map of The Wolves' Den


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FlameLarge beast, chaotic neutral

Armor Class14 (natural armour)Hit Points47 (7d10+10)Speed50ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA15(+2) 15(+2) 15(+2) 12(+1) 14(+2) 8(-1)

SkillsPerception +3, Stealth +4Sensespassive perception 13LanguagesCommonChallenge2 (450 XP)

Keen Hearing and Smell.Flame has advantageon Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely onhearing or smell.Pack Tactics.Flame has advantage on an attackroll against a creature if at least one of her alliesis within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn'tincapacitated.

ActionsBite.Melee Weapon Attack:+4 to hit, reach 5ft., onetarget Hit:6 (1d6+2) piercing damage. If thetarget is a creature, it must succeed on a DC13Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6).Flame exhales a firey

blast in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that areamust make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw,taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, orhalf as much damage on a successful one.

BoltLarge beast, lawful neutral

Armor Class14 (natural armour)Hit Points47 (7d10+10)Speed50ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA15(+2) 15(+2) 15(+2) 12(+1) 14(+2) 8(-1)

SkillsPerception +3, Stealth +4Sensespassive perception 13LanguagesCommonChallenge2 (450 XP)

Keen Hearing and Smell.Bolt has advantage onWisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearingor smell.Pack Tactics.Bolt has advantage on an attackroll against a creature if at least one of his alliesis within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn'tincapacitated.

ActionsBite.Melee Weapon Attack:+4 to hit, reach 5ft., onetarget Hit:6 (1d6+2) piercing damage. If thetarget is a creature, it must succeed on a DC13Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Lightning Breath (Recharge 5-6).Bolt exhales a

blast of blue lightning in a 30-foot line. Eachcreature in that area must make a DC 13Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) lightningdamage on a failed save, or half as much damageon a successful one.

Inside the CaveThe cave complex is made up of a large centralchamber and three smaller sub-chambers.

The central chamber is the packs main livingand sleeping area. There are piles of bones inthe southeastern corner and the floor is dotted

with large piles of leaves and cloth that appearto be very rudimentary beds.

Crude depictions of hunting wolves drawn uponthe wall in charcoal and white ash. A DC12Wisdom (Perception) check will allow a player tonotice that a series of images appear to depict

the packs fight with a human, who shares giftswith the wolves before disappearing.

The western sub-chamber functions as a store-room for both goods and many of the stolensheep. Bags containing thick leather andhomespun wool are kept here, while otherinteresting items picked up by wolves duringtheir raids - a couple of knives, a shovel andother mundane equipment - are piled up againstthe wall.

Further inside the wolves have constructed acrude but effective fence out of what appears tobe fallen branches, some of which have been

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shaped by tools. The noise of bleating is constantand very loud.

The central sub-chamber acts as a nursery forthe packs young pups. Half a dozen youngwolves sleep here when they arent playingoutside, and this is where they will be kept if afight breaks out. A pair of wolves are set to guardthe young, who are just learning how to talk, andwill defend them to their deaths. In the eventthat a fight breaks out, use theCat(MM p320)statblock for the wolf pups.

The eastern sub-chamber is used as a meetingroom by the pack leadership. It is the onlychamber to contain a fire, as the smoke is able toescape through a hole in the cave roof, but itotherwise empty.

Big Bad WolvesShould the wolves become aware of the party forany reason - triggering the noisemakers, failedstealth checks or simple walking out into thehollow - they will react with panic, letting outhigh-pitched howls. One of the wolves will yellHUNTERS in guttural, growling common.

Unless the party makes any moves to defuse thesituation the wolves will attack with a fierce

determination.

If the battle is taking place in front of the cave,FlameandBoltwill emerge from their den afterone full round. They will be accompanied fourmorewolvesthat appear to have scraps of crudeleather armour tied around their bodies, givingthem a +1 bonus to AC.

The Alpha Pair will yell exhortations to theirfellow wolves, with Flame encouraging them to

kill the hunters and Bolt telling them to protectthe pack, and not to let them harm the pups.

All the wolves will move to attack the party, butafter either one of the following occurs Bolt willlet out a thunderous roar, bellowing that thebattle is not helping either party:

- Four wolves are killed- Flame or Bolt are brought to less than

half HP

- A player character is reduced to 0HPIt is entirely up to the party whether they listento him or not. Should they ignore him, thewolves will fight to the death.

Combat TacticsThe wolves are all intelligent and will takeadvantage of their Pack Tactics ability as muchas possible. They will also use their speed tooutflank the party and target poorly-armouredcastery trying to hide in the back lines.

Flame and Bolt will lead the attack on the frontlines and use their breath attacks whereverpossible. Bolt will make sure his attack neverharms one of his allies, while Flame wont mindcatching one or two wolves if it means blastingthe entire party.

Lets Talk This OverShould the party be willing to talk to the wolves,Bolt will be more than happy to negotiate an endto any fighting.

He will explain that the pack became intelligentafter attacking a man - the Sorcerer AlexiMerriksonn - who was trespassing on theirterritory. Their memories of the fight are hazy,but there was a flash of bright light. When theyawoke the Lightbringer - as they call him - wasgone, but the wolves found their minds workingmuch faster than before. Almost instantly they

found they were able to talk, and their memorieswere filled with strange images and informationthat appeared to them in dreams.

The pack has been using its newfound abilities toboost its quality of life. Pups wont riskstarvation in the winter thanks to their hoardedherd of sheep, while their elderly wont have tobe left behind when no longer able to hunt. Theydrove off the Owlbear that had been plaguing thewoods for years and made their home in its den.

Throughout any conversation, Flame will chimein with provocative, angry comments, generallyconcerning her wish to punish and kill humansand other races, and that this land is theirs byright.

Bolt does not care for the people of Welton, whohave killed his kind indiscriminately for many

years. However, he is willing to at least try andcome to a settlement with them, suggesting that

they be allowed control of the woods and theuninhabited lands to the west, in return forkeeping the area free of other predators and notraiding themselves.

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Scene 6: Settling the ScoresThere are a two main ways for the adventure toconclude depending on the partys previous

actions. Sometimes working out what happensnext may require a degree of improvisation onthe part of the DM.

The Party Refuse toNegotiateIf the party refuse to negotiate or cant come toan agreement with Bolt, most of the wolves willbe probably be dead by the time the battle isover. In this case the party have fulfilled theterms of their contract with the Welton villagecouncil and are able to return to collect theirprize.

Should they explore the cave they willencounter a dozen young pups being guarded bya pair of desperate wolves, who beg to beallowed to leave, promising that they will nevercome back to the area. If the pups arethreatened the adult wolves will fight to the

death, screaming that their young chargesshould flee into the woods.

The Party Negotiate with theWolvesIf the party is willing to negotiate with Bolt, theymay be able to come to sort sort of peacefulaccord with him once Flame has been defeated.

Bolt will be understandably angry about any

wolves killed by the party, but recognises thatthey will not be able to fight the folk of Welton

Barring that, he is willing to simply move thepack away to a more remote location, providedthat the party swear by all their gods not to tellpeople what they saw.

Should it become apparent that a deal isforthcoming, Flame will accuse Bolt of cowardiceand betrayal and attack him from behind. This

will badly injure him, taking him out of the fight.All of the remaining armored wolves will joinher in a final, desperate attack on the party,while the others will fall back in confusion andfear.

forever and is willing to negotiate along theterms mentioned in Scene 5.

If the wolves agree to leave the area entirely, theparty will be able to return to Welton and collecttheir reward. If they lie and claim the wolveswere wiped out they will have to make aCharisma (Deception) check, opposed by FatherMerriksonns +5 Wisdom (Insight) skill. However,he will make sure to confront the party abouttheir deception in private.

However, if the party agree to a morecomplicated arrangement they will need topresent their offer to the village council. FatherMerriksonn is keen on coming to a settlement -even if he believes the wolves killed his brother -as is Corel. However, Tillus and much of the rest

of the council will need convincing.How the party do this is entirely their choice.Talking Tillus around will need both a decentargument, as determined by the DM, and asuccessful DC15 Charisma (Persuasion) check.Should he agree to the negotiations the rest ofthe council will agree with him, and Corel willbegin work on setting up a meeting with Bolt.

If they find it impossible to convince him, Corelwill call a vote on whether or not they shouldwork with the wolves anyway. Allow the party tomake a DC12 Charisma (Persuasion) checkagainst each of the five remaining councilmembers, awarding advantage or diasadvantagedepending on how persuasive the party'sargument was. Corel and Father Merriksonn willboth vote to negotiate, so they need threesuccesses in order to win an overall majority.

Tillus will react with shock and horror at being

outvoted. After a moment of blustering rage hewill realise that he has been ousted. He willlleave the council a broken man, never to return.

As long as the party have succeeded in dealingwith the wolf problem in one way or anotherthey will be paid in full at the rate they agreedwith the council.

Should the wolves intelligence become publiclyknown Feathrock will start to recover at a muchfaster rate, and will try and thank the party inperson.

~ 9 ~


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Characters

Tillus MerrionTillus Merrion is a proud, blustering Halfling wholeads the Welton Growers and BuyersAssociation. The Association as it is known

represents the most powerful group in thevillage, and as its leader Tillus acts as a de factomayor and head of the council.

In his day job, he oversees the sale of grain, wooland other products outside of the village,negotiating contracts with merchants in nearbycities and managing the shipping. He has a giftfor trade and has helped to boost Weltonsprosperity in a number of small but significantways.

When he isnt working, Tillus is usuallybeavering away at various schemes andinitiatives around the village. He has a love fororder, neatness and the rule of laws andcontracts, and is quietly obsessed with makingWelton clean and well organised.

This commitment can occasionally make himforget that many of the figures he moves abouton his ledgers represent living, breathing people.

This has become especially clear in the recentcrisis, where his dread of missing a shipment isleading him to try and sell crops that the peopleof Welton may need to eat if they are to avoidstarvation.

Despite this, he is not a bad person. Hedesperately loves Welton and will do anything ittakes to see it grow and prosper. If this meansmaking people go hungry in order to maintaintheir long-term credit rating, so be it.

Leanor SlatebeardOne of very few dwarves in Welton, Leanor andher husband Banteth are cheerful, hard-workingmembers of the community. She is well over 100

years old and has seen the community grow froma mere hamlet to the thriving village it is today.

Despite her apparently minor position, Leanorslong-running relationships with virtually every

family in the village actually gives her a lot ofquiet influence. She knows all the skeletons ineverybodys closets and has accumulated anawful lot of favours over the years.

She is generally happy to help the party in theirquest and may well be a powerful ally if they tryto negotiate with the village council over atreaty of sorts with the intelligent wolves.

Alexi MerriksonnThe protector of Welton, Alexi spent his life

keeping dangerous monsters and occasionalbandit gangs away from his home village.

Born with a link to the inscrutable forces of WildMagic that always marked him as an outsiderwhile growing up, his brother Johan was his onlyreal friend. Despite this, he was keen to show hisworth to the people of Welton and trained longand hard to increase his abilities.

Befitting the source of his power, Alexi was

unpredictable and passionate, given to flights offancy and wild laughter. He roamed the landsbeyond Welton almost at random, seeking outthreats before they approached the farms of thecommon folk.

Despite his commitment to their protection, thefolk of Welton always viewed the sorcerer with adegree of suspicion. At times the presence of hisbrother may have been the only thing keepingsome of the more superstitious and hot-headed

members of the community from trying to drivehim out.

He stumbled across the wolf pack whilepatrolling the moorlands. He didnt plan todestroy them, but simply wanted to drive themoff. While he was using his abilities, however, hewas struck by a Wild Magic Surge, destroying hisbody and imbuing the nearby wolves with someof his intelligence and magical abilities.

Father MerriksonnThe local priest of Pelor (or any local good-aligned deity), Johan Merriksonn was born andbred in Welton and loves both the village and itsinhabitants. He is a human in his mid-50s with akindly face and wispy white hair.

He and his brother, Alexi, were born to a familyof reasonably successful farmers and are well-educated by the standards of the region. While

Alexi found himself able to control the power ofWild Magic, Johan felt the draw of the churchand was apprenticed by the local priest.

~ 10 ~


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In many ways Merriksonn acts as the conscienceand moral compass for the otherwisemercantile-minded village council. Recently hehas come into conflict with some of the morebusinesslike members over his desire toprioritise feeding the locals over meeting theterms of their export contracts.

He is helpful to the party unless they showthemselves to be evil, in which case he willcondemn them. He is also willing to negotiatewith the wolves, even if he knows they wereinvolved in his brother's death.

Willen FeatherockA halfling shepherd, Featherock lived a mostlyunremarkable life until he was injured in

Weltons attempt to deal with the wolves. Sincehis experiences at the hands - or rather jaws - ofthe intelligent wolves he has been jittery andplagued by nerves.

He is of average height for a halfling and despitehis time spent recovering inside he still has aruddy, sun-reddened face from his days spentout on the hillsides.

CorelA human shepherd, Corel is lean and tough asold leather. He is a quiet, reserved man who isrespected by everybody on the village council.He does not speak very often, but when he doesthe entire room listens and carefully weighs hiswords.

He is reasonably successful as a farmer andshepherd and runs his own operation on thehills near the western woods. Much of his flock

has been taken by the wolves, but he was quickto recognise the threat and drive his sheep intotown, where they would at least be safe.

Corel is more than happy to help the party andact as their guide if needed.

He has been working on the hills surroundingWelton for most of his 50-something years and isan expert on the local geography.

Despite his losses to them, Corel will support any

negotiation with the wolves once he realisesthey are intelligent, sentient creatures.

Flame and BoltThe alpha pair of the wolf pack, for most of theirlives Flame and Bolt were simple beasts. Bothcunning and fierce, to be sure, but notintelligent. This all changed when the packbrought down Alexi Merriksonn, and were

infused with much of his intelligence and powerduring a Wild Magic Surge.

Both are fiercely protective of their pack and areworried that their intelligence will cause menand other sentient races to hunt them down anddestroy them. At the same time, however, theyare now bright enough to be able to think of agreat many ways in which they will be able toimprove their lives and those of their pups.

Flame, the alpha female, was granted the abilityto produce and control flames. She is muchmore aggressive than her partner and believesthat killing other intelligent beings to drivethem away from the packs territory is the onlyway she can keep her people safe/

Bolt, the alpha male, has gained the ability toroar with the fury of a storm and shoot blasts oflightning from his mouth. He is generally morecautious and kindly than his partner, and

prefers the idea of breeding sheep and movinginto remote areas where other civilised raceswont bother them.

Tension has been brewing between the two eversince they were gifted with intelligence. Bothare willing to die for the safety of the pack anddeeply care for each other. However, if nothingchanges they will probably fight to the deathwithin a matter of weeks, each believing that theother is leading their people to their doom.

Both Flame and Bolt are very, very large wolveswith dark grey fur. Flames eyes glow with aconstant orange flame and thin strips of redlight run across her body, as though her skin iscracked rock sitting on top of a burning pool ofmagma.

Bolts eyes and skin pulse with a crackling bluelight. He always speaks softly, for if he raises hisvoice it rumbles with the power of thunder,

shaking the ground around him.

~ 11 ~


12/14~ 12 ~


13/14~ 13 ~


14/14

Thanks &Acknowledgements

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of theCoast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand,

and all other Wizards of the Coast product names,and their respective logos are trademarks of

Wizards of the Coast in the USA and othercountries.

This work contains material that is copyrightWizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such

material is used with permission under theCommunity Content Agreement for Dungeon

Masters Guild.

All other original material in this work is copyright2016 by Winghorn Press and published under the

Community Content Agreement for DungeonMasters Guild.

~

All maps were created usingCampaign Cartographer 3

~

This adventure was produced byWinghorn Press.

Check us out at www.winghornpress.com and@WingHornPress on Twitter.

the wolves of welton - a single-session adventure

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