The Isle of Balduran had roughly two sections. We had been in the village in the southern section, and now we were traveling to the Balduran's shipwreck in the north to take care of the "beasts".
We had barely stepped into the northern region when a man approached us.
"Good day to you, strangers. Excuse my, uhm, abruptness but I would ask your assistance. Just east of this place there are monsters. They are attacking a small group of people. Please, if you have hearts, come and help me fight."
I sighed. "Surely you don't really expect us to fall for such a simple ploy, silly wolf?"
Sure, I knew from foreknowledge that this was a trap. But even the first time around when I played this game I had spent time gathering information, so I knew this section of the island was under control of shapeshifting beasts that could assume human form.
The man's face twisted in confusion, then snarled at us. "Have it your way. Come my brothers, let us feast on these fools."
Our opposition was one archer and 4 look like half-human-half-wolf hybrids, like werewolves.
These were level 7 creatures with 41 health, AC 1. They have a THAC0 of 6, hit for 1d12+7 slashing damage, 2 attacks per round. They also had 50% magic resistance, though their save vs spells was only 14.
What I'm trying to say is that they weren't a real threat to us at our current levels. In spite of that, we still figured that a web would help even the odds. So the wolfweres got to watch us cut them down as they strained against the webbing.
The creatures may very well look like werewolves. As to their true nature, we found out soon enough. After the battle, the creatures, including the one who had first hailed us earlier, turned into wolfs in their deaths.
"Beasts which pretend to be humans, I believe that's how the villagers described them?" Jaheira noted, "They may look like werewolves, but they are in fact the opposite. These are Wolfweres, that is wolves which are infected with a magical disease which turns them into half human forms."
The first wolf pretending to be a human was also carrying Farthing's dolly. Fancy that.
The next wolf in human guise approached us openly. "New actors in our little drama. Who might you be? Shipwrecked sailors, perhaps?"
This Meym, and he was actually quite talkative.
"Feeling somewhat cryptic today, are you?" Jaheira asked, eyebrow raised. Her weapon was already drawn.
"Somewhat… you are certainly braver than the cattle inside the village. You leave the safety of the palisade with a confident strife and a dangerous look about you. Those fools within are frightened of their own shadows," Meym said.
Jaheira pointed at Meym. "What of you? Here you stand, alone and open to attack."
"I am not without my defenses, brash one. What does Kaishas ask of you?"
Jaheira hesitated, so I stepped up and answered for her. "She asks that we destroy the wolf beasts in their lair."
"Karoug will have something to say about that, no doubt. Now that you are Kaishas's lackey, what do you get out of it?"
"We will gain escape from the island. The boat that we arrived on was shipwrecked on the reefs," I said honestly. "If you could all promise not to attack us while we repair the boat, perhaps we need not come to blows."
"Fool! Karoug will eat you alive. Confront him in his lair if you must. Kaishas will not allow an outsider on her ship anyway."
Meym walked away.
I turned to the rest. "Do you think he was lying? About Kaishas not allowing an outsider on her ship?"
"What was it that the other guy said? Nothing on this island is as it seems?" Neera said, "I somehow doubt we're going get off so easily."
"Yeah, no way. After all, Kaishas and her whole village are a bunch of werewolves," Imoen said in agreement.
Jaheira, Khalid and Branwen was nodding along with what they were saying, when they suddenly startled. "What? What was that?"
I, Neera and Imoen gave them a withering look. "You really didn't catch it by now? Why do you think I went around talking to them all earlier?" I asked rhetorically. "Come on, we've got ways to go yet."
"You be sure of that!" Jaheira protested as we moved on. "You don't have proof! Hey, are you listening..."
The next person we encountered was a beautiful blue-skinned woman by the beach. The body of a man lay close to her. "Halt, land-dwellers. Who gave you leave to approach my home?"
The Sirine Queen is a potent foe to those who challenge her. She has 80 hitpoints, an incredible AC -6, Thac0 3, and 2 attacks per round with her Arrows of Biting.
And yet, given our suspicions, I didn't really want to start a fight with her.
"I am Sonny and these are my companions. Perhaps you could explain what happened to that fellow behind you."
"I doubt that you would understand. Nevertheless, I will attempt to explain. I am a sirine, and as such must mate with a human male. My song lures them to me and the ales are most happy to oblige. Normally, both parties will benefit from the exchange. It is my time to mate so I lured this fisherman to me. He attacked me and tried to force himself upon me. When my song no longer affected him, I took more drastic measures. This monster deserved to die. Perhaps even land-dwellers can understand that."
I looked briefly to the rest, and they nodded to me without my having to give words to my question. I turned back to the sirine and said, "You did what you had to do. We would have done no less. We wish only to retrieve the body and leave you be."
"Well-spoken, land dweller. You may have the monster's corpse if such is your wish."
Monster, huh? As Khalid picked up the body, I turned to "Just one last question. When this man attacked you, was he in the form of a werewolf? That's a half-man, half-wolf-"
"I know what a werewolf is," the sirine cut me off. "Yes, if you didn't already know I can confirm he is a werewolf. Was."
I did a ta-dah motion to Jaheira, who refused to look at me.
Next up, a fair maiden asking for help, saying "Oh, please help me! They kill poor Jondal."
"Shush, away with you silly wolf," I said dismissively while making hand wishing motions.
She scowled, called out to Jondal, and then she and Jondal attacked our party in werewolf form. Wolfwere form. The hybrid man-wolf form thingy.
Just two of them this time? Eh, we tanked and spanked the silly wolves hard. Next!