Two more months go by before a group of Selûnite hunters once again marches through the woods, drawing ever closer to the Upperdark Forest, intent on driving the Worgs from their home.
The air around them cold and crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves as the sun filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.
Among the hunters, a tall human with a weathered face, his features hardened by years of survival, leads the group.
He scans the surroundings with sharp, calculating eyes.
"Stay close.." he warns his party, his voice casting a low rumble. "We already know what these beasts are capable of. They won't give up their territory easily."
Unfortunately for the Selûnite hunters, Urdn'Varn spots them first while scouting from atop a hill, his small frame silhouetted against the fading light.
His blood boils at the sight of the intruders, as an instinctive protectiveness surges through him.
With haste, Urdn'Varn returns to the worg queen's cave. Surprised by his sudden appearance, Nazareth inquiries his actions.
"What is wrong Urdn'Varn, Are you not supposed to be out hunting with your brothers?"
"Queen Nazareth, the Selûnites.. they've come again!" Urdn'Varn hisses, his voice trembling with anger. "I'm going to fetch the justicar.. please prepare every one for battle. ..We cannot let them take our home!"
Enraged, Nazareth tilts her head, the muscles in her jaw tightening as she considers the situation. "Then hurry back Sir Varn.. I shall prepare the Worgs... And when you return we shall slay the Selûnite's, ...Go now!" she replies, her voice deep and commanding.
Urdn'Varn, using the powers bestowed upon him by Shar, summons a Portal of Shadows in order to teleport to the location of one of his most faithful Wulvenvir;
The first of the Werewolf's he freed from Lycanthropic Enthrallment.. A Halfling named Tillybell.
As Urdn'Varn steps out of the portal, he finds himself in the bottom of a Sharran Church, surrounded by spears, as a voice calls out "Who dares disturbe our ritual." Followed by another voice of a younger man. "State your name or become our sacrifice!"
"Wait!.." Urdn'Varn calls out, "I am Urdn'Varn, an Acolyte of Shar.. I come seeking the one who I freed from Enthrallment!"
As he finishes speaking, a howling roar ecoes thew the Temple, "Bay your spears Nightbringers, ...For if you harm that Kobold!"
As the voice pauses, a large claw reaches out of a shadow filled hallway, as the face of a Werewolf pokes through the darkness.
"I will bite out your throats, and use you as an offering myself!"
Fear filling their eyes, the Nightbringers withdraw their weapons as The beast emerges from the shadows before slowly transforming into a Halfling female.
"Long time seen, Nightbringer Urdn'Varn, Freer of enthrallment."
The creature says, It's voice low and rumbling.
"Justiciar Tillybell, first of the Wulvenvir..
I need your strength!"
Urdn'Varn pleads, as he kneels before the The Justiciar, fully enthoped in her Lycan form.
"The Selûnite's, they have sent a large group of hunters into my forest.. they seek to eradicate the Worgs of Shar whom I protect, and kill their queen.. Lady Nazareth. Please help me slaughter these intruders before they reach my home."
After hearing Urdn'Varn's request, Tillybell graciously accepts and follows him back thew the Portal of Shadows.
Together, they formulate a plan to ambush the invading Selûnite's, their minds aligning with a singular purpose.
As the Selûnite hunters approach the Worgs' lair, they remain unaware that they are walking into a trap.
The dense underbrush rustles softly as Urdn'Varn, two of the larger Worgs, and a towering, fierce Wulvenvir position themselves to strike.
The tension in the air thickens, a palpable silence descends upon the woods, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
"Thi is perfect, they won't ever see us coming." Urdn'Varn whispers, a fierce glint of determination sparking in his clear-blue draconic eyes.
Suddenly, as the hunters cross the threshold of the Worgs' territory, Urdn'Varn and his companions spring into action, surrounding the Selûnite hunters with a primal ferocity. "ATTACK!" he roars, his voice echoing through the trees, urging his allies to strike.
The Wulvenvir lets out a bone-chilling howl as it charges out from the shadows, grabbing one of the Selûnite's by the neck, then slams them into ground before going after their leader. Caught off guard, the leader of the hunters stumbles backward, fear flashing in their eyes.
"It's an Ambu.. ugh" The mans voice cut off as the Wulvenvir's claws sank thew his throat.
As their leader falls to the ground, Tillybell growls, her voice echoing in sync with the snarls of the Worgs, creating a terrifying symphony of nature's fury as they chase the Selûnite hunters into a nearby cave.
The battle that follows is a bloody and brutal affair, with both sides fighting with a desperation born of loss and rage.
The sounds of clashing steel and howling fury reverberate through the cave as Urdn'Varn darts between the hunters, agile and quick to evad their attempts to strike him down, as he cast his Cantrip's at them from the shadows.
"We're cornered!" a young hunter shouts, panic creeping into his voice as he swings his sword wildly at a worg, his blade grazing it's side, causing it to howl in pain.
Seeing this Urdn'Varn steels their dagger from his belt, and wedges it threw the back of the Selûnite's neck, then tosses it to the side, before healing the worg.
As Urdn'Varn heals the worg another Selûnite trys to attack him, but the attack is interrupted by Tillybell, towering above them in her werewolf form. After dispatchind the foe before her by crushing it's skull, Urdn'Varn sees the Wulvenvir's piercing yellow gaze fixes on another hunter, and with a snarl, Tillybell closes the distance, her claws striking with unrelenting force.
The hunter tries to raise his weapon, but the Wulvenvir is too fast, and her claws rake across his chest with brutal efficiency.
As the battle rages on the worgs claw, bite, and tear their way through the Selûnite's that were forced into the back of the cave, as Urdn'Varn and Tillybell cull you further back.
Half an hour later, the dust settles, and the scene around Urdn'Varn and his allies is like a portrait of war, bloody grim, and chaotic.
The bodies of the Selûnite hunters lay dead, strewn all across the cave floor, their lifeless expressions a mix of shock and terror, as their blood paints a portrait of the battlefield.
Only Urdn'Varn, the Worg Pack, Tillybell the Wulvenvir.. remain standing, their breaths heavy with exertion, the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through their veins. Urdn'Varn stands tall among them, a mixture of triumph and sorrow etched on his small face as he gazes at the fallen Selûnite hunters, his heart heavy with the weight of what has transpired, as he recognizes the faces of some of the fallen.
"The Selûnites came to hunt us.." he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper. "But tonight we are not the prey, they are."
The Worg Queen approaches him, her expression a blend of pride and concern. "You fought well, little one.." she says, nuzzling his side with affection. "But remember, every hunt comes with a cost..
So do not turn away from the pain you now feel, for one day it will make you stronger."
Urdn'Varn nods slowly, as the gravity of her words sinks in. The forest, once filled with the songs of birds and rustling leaves, now stands in eerie silence, bearing witness to the struggle between predator and prey.