We had the map, we had the ship. Manning a ship was difficult for folks as inexperienced as ship-hands as us (devs, you didn't think about this did you?!?), but we somehow managed to sail home.
The mood of the party on the trip back however was somber. In the few moments when we were not in danger of capsizing, Neera, Imoen, Branwen and Jaheira had been studying the curse, casting magic rituals to remove it, and using our small stockpile of belladonna to try and enact a cure.
Nothing worked.
I was more concerned with making the ship sail to our destination correctly. Rushing about, commandeering manpower away from research and towards getting home in one piece.
Eventually, Neera took me aside to talk.
"Everyone else figures you're letting us focus on cures while you focus on steering the ship which you can do," she said to me.
"That is not wrong," I responded.
"I know you better. We're all infected with lycanthropy, and none of our curse breaking and cures work. But you're not even asking us how it's going. So spill the beans. How do we cure this?"
Smart. But already know she's smart.
"Dradeel's notes did say that belladonna wouldn't work. His notes also outlined the cure," I told her. "We have to kill the leader of the werewolves. Removing the source of the curse will cure us."
"Selaad, Kaishas Gan's husband?" Neera asked, her eyes narrowing. "But we don't know where-"
Neera squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It's Mendas, the guy who hired us in the first place. Isn't it?"
I grinned. "That's right. He never hired us to find the wreck of the Balduran's ship in the first place. All he wanted was for us to deliver the map how to get back to to Kaishas Gan."
She stomped her foot at me and glared. "We've been slaving away at a cure all this time! Why didn't you tell us- wait, don't say it," Neera caught herself. "You can't give away too much since they don't know you've played the game before."
I just nodded. "Sadly true."
Neera glared at me. "You could have told me though."
I poked me pointer fingers together. "Huuuuuh. Good point. I didn't think of that."
"Didn't think of... OOOOOH! You're so frustrating!" she shrieked and stomped out with her back turned to me.
"You've got to keep pretending to work like your life depends on it though," I said to her turned back.
She just showed me the finger.
-
As soon as we got back to Ulgoth's Beard, we were greeted by a man in REALLY flashy chainmail right outside the docks.
"Hirelings return. Master Selaad awaits thee, was all he said.
This was Baresh and man that chainmail he was wearing was something else.
The party waited for me to respond, but I was still eyeing the guy's armor. That's the Chainmail +3, isn't it? It's not actually better than what we currently have, but it's superlight weight for the amount of protection it offers. It carries over to BG2, and is the best armour at the start of that game.
Jaheira stepped up instead. "You are mistaken, good fellow. We return to meet Mendas of Waterdeep," she said.
Even as Jaheira said that though, I could practically see the gears turning in her head.
"The master has many names on this accursed soil. Selaad is the only true one. It is not they concern," Baresh responded.
I peered at my team, the rest only know getting it. Only Neera had a bored look on her face.
Her suspicions all but confirmed, Jaheira sighed. "The tale grows thicker with each telling. Is Mendas, or Selaad, if you will, the mates of Kaishas Gan?"
"Selaad Gan is the chief of the true people," Baresh replied. "He awaits the return of his mate Kaishas. Why have thee not returned with her?"
Jaheira shook her head. "It seems that we have been deceived. Kaishas is dead and her murderous ilk died with her."
Baresh's face twisted in anger. "Murderous wrtech! Filth! The master will eat they marrow for this."
He turned around and retreated to Mendas's home to report to his master.
I addressed the team. "You remember Dradeel's notes said the cure requires killing the werewolf leader, right? Time is running out before the lycantrophy takes effect on us. Do any of you intend to let this man who tricked us live, knowing his life would doom us to spend the rest of our lives as werewolves?"
"I for one do not," Jaheira said. "There are consequences of such vile actions."
There were no disagreements from the rest of the party.
-
Khalid entered Mendas's home alone. Mendas aka Selaad was there, his whole face was a tight grimace. Baresh was waiting to the side, his face also contorted in rage.
"You return empty-handed. Is what Baresh has said true? My wife is dead?" Mendas asked him.
"She-she-she gave us little choice. She has infected us with this vile lycanthropy and tried to prevent us from leaving," Khalid responded. "It was either us or her."
"Useless fools!" Selaad screamed at Khalid. "You were to do nothing but go there. Kaishas could have done rest. No need for idiot adventurers."
"But-but-but I don't get it!" Khalid protested. "Mendas, uh, I mean Selaad? Since you are the leader of the werewovles, why did you not sail back to the island yourself?"
"I am no sailor. I stay to prepare place for my people. For generations we have been trapped on island. It is time to return home to the land of grandfather's birth. They needed charts and I needed adventurers who do not ask too much questions. yet you have failed. Why did you kill her? I know she has give you the gift of lycanthropy. I can smell it on you. I can smell guilt, too. Kaishas's blood shall always be on your soul."
Khalid scowled. "We-we-we did nothing wrong. You were far from honest with us. We brought back the book, Balduran's logbook. That was always what you stated we were to do."
"The logbook was nothing! Balduran was nothing!" Selaad yelled. "He refused the gift that grandfathers offered him. You were only to give sea charts to Kaishas and kill Karoug so he could not follow. Kaishas would have brought pack here, where I have prepare place for them. Miserable ones! You could not accomplish such simple things? Instead you kill my family and steal the boat to save your cruel selves? Dogs! You are not fit to die at my hand but die you shall! A bloody reckoning is at hand! To me Baresh! My love shall be avenged!"
Both Selaad/Mendas and Baresh transformed, not into werewovles, but Loup Garou! They lunged at Khalid with a bestial fury, hungry for his blood.
-
Not one, but TWO Loup Garou again. Same rules apply, only I and Khalid were armed to hurt them. So same tactics would as well. Tank and spank.
-
Try as the two Loup Garou tried, they couldn't find purchase against Khalid's defences.
Naturally, the reason we sent in Khalid alone was so that both werewolves focus on him. He was buffed to the gills with Protection from Evil, Defensive Harmony, Potion of Agility, and was wearing the Golden Girdle against their slashing claws of the werewolves.
Hearing the battle start, the rest of the party moved in. I was already inside, waiting with Werebane of course.
Haste, Bless, and Chant ensured both me and Khalid would hit often. Potions of Stone Giant Strength ensured we would both hit HARD. Improved Invisiblity jacked up Khalid's hit rate even further and helped protect him. Invisibility from both Neera and Imoen ensured my every other strike was a backstab.
Meanwhile, Jaheira was casting Doom on each of them to lower their saving throws. Then Imoen cast Greater Malison. Both spells managed to connect in spite of their magic resistance.
"Now! Hit them with Wands of Paralysis!" I yelled.
It was finally time to break out the big guns! The most uber of all the uber items! WANDS OF PARALYSIS!
Khalid froze. "Uh, urm..."
Neera cleared her throat. "Sonny, they're already dead."
"What?" I gasped. I looked down at our fallen foes.
Both Loup Garou lay at our feet.
"So they are. Erm," I admitted, scratching the back of my head.
Well, that was anti-climatic. Save the final battle with Sarevok, those were on of the last significant enemies in the whole game.
A thought occurred to me. "Wait, does that mean I didn't use my uber Wands Paralysis the WHOLE adventure?!? It can't be!"
Jaheira shook her head. "Saved them up a bit too much, eh, stingy one?"
---
With the death of Selaad, our lycanthropy was cured. Our misadventures in Durlag's Tower and the isle of the Balduran completed, there was only on thing left to do before the final confrontation with Sarevok.
The dagger with Aec'Letec's soul in it though was all the way back in Beregost though, outside of Ulgoth's Beard. Well, we could use the rest after the adventure on werewolf island.