We walked around the village, chatting people up.
Maralee had heard we will fight the wolves in the old ship, and pleaded with us, "My baby, they have him! You must save him! Oh, please!"
We asked her to explain.
"It has been so hard not knowing. Two moons ago my husband took my son out hunting with him. They were attacked by those horrible wolf-creatures. They… they killed my husband and took my baby. Kaishas says that they took the baby away to eat him, but I know he's still alive."
We promised to help her out.
Jorin wasn't too impressed with us. "Brave heroes, eh? Fools more like it."
He especially looked down in my direction and made a show of turning his nose up at me.
I was rolling up my sleeves when Jaheira stepped in. "Have we offended you in some way, sir?"
"My apologies. You have not offended me. I only wish to protect my people from the disease of too much hope. Everyone knows that you go to fight the evil wolves. I have fought them often and I know their strengths. I do not think that you can destroy them. Perhaps you are great warriors, as the villagers believe. As they want to believe. If so, I will respect your abilities and wish you luck. Perhaps you only wish to be heroes. If so, I respect your courage but doubt you will survive the day."
"You say that you have fought these beasts. Tell us what you know about them and their weaknesses."
"The wolves can appear to be human, but don't be fooled, they are animals at heart. They will kill for pleasure as much as for food. The younger wolf beasts are much weaker than their elders. They are dark brown in color with some black fur. They care completely tactless. They will attack without thought regardless of the odds."
Jorin paused, then continued, "The older beasts are black with some silver fur. They are powerful and cunning foes. Some of them can even cast spells. They live on the ship of our ancestors. A great black brute rules them. He calls himself Karoug. The beasts cannot be injured with normal weapons. Only blessed or enchanted weapons will harm them. They will always change to their true form to attack. That is all that I can help you with. I hope that you are successful."
Young Farthing said, "I'm only five. In a few years my papa will let me hunt. Are you allowed to hunt?"
"Indeed, little girl. I can hunt at will," Khalid said.
Farthing pouted. "You're lucky. I don't like you."
Wow, that was the first child ever to snub her nose at Khalid!
With a bit of encouragement, Farthing gave in. "We can be friends if you want. I've lost my dolly our in the woods. The gatekeeper won't let me go and get it. Can you get it for me?"
Hrm, fetch quest. No real reason to turn it down though.
The next person we met was mending some nets. "I welcome you to village and I wish you luck in battle with evil that ship holds. I am Evalt, I fish for clan in these savage waters."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Evalt. What can you tell me about the island?" Jaheira asked.
"This island is not too big. With good wind I sail around it in afternoon. There is a natural harbor on north of island and on east of island. The ship of my grandfathers, of Balduran, lies beached in north harbor. The east harbor holds out hope for survival."
He too had a request of us. "I know that you may not believe my story. No one else on island does. My brother left village two nights ago and has not returned. Iknow where he had gone though I am ridiculed if I should say."
We bid him to tell us without fear of ridicule.
"Good people, there is a witch on this isle. My brother called her the Blue Lady and those of us who ply these waters have all heard her singing at one time or another. My brother, Evan, heard her more than most. I think that he went to find her. I think that he is under her spell. I must go and find him. This witch might kill him. He is strong but he is under her spell. I hear that she will kill him before he realizes what is happening? Can you find my brother?"
"Tell me where this witch is and I shall try to find her," Jaheira said.
"I don't know exactly where she is. I have the sense to avoid her, unlike Evan, But I have only heard her singing along the west coast of the island."
We discussed this later.
"A witch that sings? Siren, harpy, sirine..."
"She's blue. 'Tis a sirine," Jaheira said, confident. "Sirines aren't exactly evil though. We'd best talk to the sirine before engaging in hostilities."
Taloun was an old man in one of the larger buildings.
"Intrpid explorers, are ye? Not sailors, though. Ye don't have the walk. A sea dog like meself would know. I am Taloun, once a sailor of Amn and now a proud member of this clan."
"As you say, we are not professional sailors. Do you mean to imply that you are?"
"Aye, it's true. I was once a sailor for Sybarr Spices out of Amn, brining product from the New World. Many seasons have passed since then Everything be different now. Everything…"
"I don't wish to interrupt you melancholy, but how did you end up on this island?"
"We sailed to Maztica and returned, laden with spices. The ship was attacked by a kraken and dragged beneath the waves. Those of us that survived were pulled, one by one, into the kraken's beak to be eaten. I clung to some of the ships planning and somehow the kraken missed me. I drifted for days, eating me shoes and drinking only rainwater."
"Eventually I drifted to this island. I gained membership to the clan by showing the villagers new techniques for fishing and farming. The clan has been here since Balduran's time ye understand. They be sorely in need of the little bit of modern technology that I be having. It is a fantastic tale, I admit, but I swear it is true."
"What can you tell us of Balduran's final voyage?"
"I know only a bit of the story, meself. They are verytight-lipped about the details surrounding their entrapment here. The crew stopped here to replenish supplies. They were attacked by savage lycanthropes; wolves that could turn into men if they so desired. In the battle, the ship was toched and the wolf beast chased the crew to this end of the island. The combatants fought to a standstill. The crew built this village and the wolf beasts took over the ship. Betwixt skirmishes life went on. The female crewmembers took husbands and started families. Things remain much the same today."
"Why didn't the crew build another boat and escape their fate?"
"It isn't so simple, ye landlubber. Balduran and his guide Dradeel went missing in the battle. No one knows where this isle lays for certain. Nevertheless, an attempt has been made. The fisherman, under my tutelage, built a small boat. Selaad Gan, our headman and husband to Kaishas, sailed for the mainland nearly a year ago. We have not heard from him. He is assumed to be dead."
"I can say no more at this time, but I will offer ye the advice that I never got: Watch yourself. Nothing on this island be as it seems. Not these people, not the monsters, and not meself. Do what you must quickly. Ye don't have much time."
How ominous. From foreknowledge though, I knew he wasn't kidding that we didn't have much time to settle this adventure. Players who take longer than 3 days would run into a situation which was essentially a game over. We were on a timer, and players who took their time and rested after every fight (ala the 15 minute work day so famous in TTRPG circles) would be punished heavily.
We met a gorgeous woman in the fields on the way out.
"Well, hello there. There is quite the chatter of you around the village. None have seen your like before, not even some of the eldest. What is your name?"
"My name is Sonny, m'lady. What might yours be?"
"Be nor so formal, "m'lord". My name is Delainy, and I am pleasured to meet ye."
"The pleasure is mine, I am sure. What do you do here?"
"What do I do? I am history. Forgive me, I mean I am historian. I keep the stories of the great elders, and some of the few relics of old. I learn the old tongue well, yes? I try to keep the speech, but we have been on our own for some time. What of you? What do you do?"
"I seek adventure and travel."
"I have heard of such, of the wandering that know no bounds. You seek adventure? There is little of such on the island-home. I have but a mundane task to ask of you, if you hear me out?"
"I will listen. What do you need of me?"
"It is a simple task, complicated some. The storm you felt that took your ship? It was fierce here too, and a cloak that drapwed the village center was cast to the wind. I think it is beyond the wall, and will not risk the beasts to get it. Will you?"
"A very prominent though slightly odd place for a cloak. Of what significance is it?"
"It is from old, as old as we as people. From the ship-home that crumbled beneath, and it symbols the past we have come from. It drapes the village center as we use the past to move forward. You know how important symbols be? This is ours. The beast may have, and I need you to get. Will you help in this?"
"Without question I will help you. I will search and return as quickly as I can."
"Thanks be. I will await you with hopeful heart. You are a welcome sigh tot my eyes if you succeed. I wish you well."
Just before the exit, Lahl reprimanded us from walked through the garden where the vegetables are grown.
Well, maybe don't build your garden JUST before the exit?
"Don't worry about your garden, we're not here to trample it. Your headwoman has asked us to defeat the monstrosities on the other side of the island," Jaheira said.
"The wolf monstrocities killed my wife. Will you send a few of them to the Hells for me?"
"Your wife will be avenged."
"It is about time that someone avenged her. Without her the fields are that much harder to keep healthy."
"Before I go, is there anything you can tell me about the island outside of the village's walls?"
"Be careful when you leave the village. There are monsters everywhere on this island."
Huh. Well that was useless.
The gatekeeper let us through and wished us good hunting.
Just outside the village, we happened to pass two bushes of belladonna.
"The cure for lycanthropy! Perfect, we should definitely bring some of these along."