Weretiger's Curse - The mission

[Irian]

Irian smiled at the apothecary. "I am glad to hear the sheriff is healing well, and is well enough to receive visitors. Could you tell us of the injuries he received? Were they resistant to your treatments at all? Or were they consistent to what one would expect from a tiger attack?"

[Nathan]

"He has a couple of bites and some rakes from claws. Just what you'd expect from a tiger, really. Must have been incredibly strong, it bit right through his armour!

The only reason it's taken so long for the sheriff to get better is because he was so badly injured. There's nothing special about the wounds, if that's what you mean.

Why do you ask? Don't you think it was a tiger that attacked him? Many people have seen it, and it's definitely a tiger!"

[Irian]

Irian shakes her head in puzzlement.

"I don't know for sure. The timing of the attacks...
Do you know anything about lycanthropes?" she asked hesitantly.

[Brother Charn]

Please excuse the crowd of questions, but we need to slay this creature, and any information you can give us be another chance at defeating it."
"What size is it, roughly? Coloring?"

"Did it attack you out of nowhere? Where did it come from?"

"Was it expecting to kill and eat you - and how did you escape it?"

"Has anyone else survived an attack? Do you know of anyone else who may have seen where it came from?"

"Has it been sighted in more than one area?"

[Nathan]

Do you know anything about lycanthropes?" she asked hesitantly.

The apothecary's ears suddenly prick up "A lycanthrope? You think this is a lycanthrope?

My tutor back in the capital city, the man who taught me all I know about healing, he did research into lycanthropes! I can't remember much about what he was doing, but I do know that lycanthropes have a weakness to weapons made using alchemical silver.

I hope that helps!"

[Nathan]

"What size is it, roughly? Coloring?"

"It's large (large has a specific meaning in D&D, you can check up on it on the d20srd site. It's the size category above medium. You are all medium), and it's got black stripes on an orange body. Just like a normal tiger.

"Did it attack you out of nowhere? Where did it come from?"

I don't know where it came from, we didn't see it coming, and then suddenly it was right there, amongst us! It must have sneaked up on us.

"Was it expecting to kill and eat you - and how did you escape it?"

I don't know what it was expecting to do, it just attacked us. Our weapons were ineffective against it, we slashed at it with our swords but most of the wounds we caused just sealed themselves straight up immediately! The others remained but weren't as deep as you'd expect for how hard we hit it.

I was the last to fall, I don't know why I'm still alive, but the tiger must have left after I passed out."

"Has anyone else survived an attack? Do you know of anyone else who may have seen where it came from?"

"Everyone else who's been in contact with the tiger has died either on the spot, or soon after from their wounds."

"Has it been sighted in more than one area?"

"The first time it attacked, it killed some villagers on the streets. The time I fought it, we were in the market square when it attacked us."

[Irian]

"I appreciate you answering our questions, sheriff.

"You said, 'I don't know what it was expecting to do, it just attacked us. Our weapons were ineffective against it, we slashed at it with our swords but most of the wounds we caused just sealed themselves straight up immediately! The others remained but weren't as deep as you'd expect for how hard we hit it.'

"That doesn't sound like an average tiger...

"You also said, 'I don't know where it came from, we didn't see it coming, and then suddenly it was right there, amongst us! It must have sneaked up on us.'

"and, 'The first time it attacked, it killed some villagers on the streets. The time I fought it, we were in the market square when it attacked us.'

"So you never saw it coming, even in the middle of the square. As if it just...appeared.

"May I ask what time of day it attacked? Was it in broad daylight on a market day?

"And this sounds as though no traps so far have been tried against it. But, we haven't asked yet what was tried between the first and second attack. Have traps or snares been laid? Have any been triggered at all?"

[Nathan]

"That doesn't sound like an average tiger...

"No, as our friend the apothecary here has just said, it may be a lycanthrope. I didn't tell anyone about the self-healing wounds before because I didn't want to worry them, but seeing as you're here to kill the tiger I thought it best that you knew as much as possible about it, to increase your chances of victory."

"So you never saw it coming, even in the middle of the square. As if it just...appeared.

"Not really, it must have just sneaked up on us.

"May I ask what time of day it attacked? Was it in broad daylight on a market day?

Both times it attacked at night, under the full moon. Didn't the mayor tell you?

"And this sounds as though no traps so far have been tried against it. But, we haven't asked yet what was tried between the first and second attack. Have traps or snares been laid? Have any been triggered at all?"

"We have not laid any traps. One tiger attack is nothing to get excited about, and once it had attacked a second time we decided to call for adventurers to help. Do you think traps would be a good idea? I know about fighting and swordplay, but I'm not really familiar with hunting animals. Is this how you plan to kill the beast?"

[Nathan]

While you're talking to the sheriff the apothecary goes into a back room for about 30 seconds. He comes back inside with some bandages and replaces the ones the sheriff is currently wearing.


When he's finished with that he takes a closer look at each member of the party and then points at Roark.

"You there, you look like you're incredibly strong, could you do me a favour? I've got some large rocks in my yard that need moving and I'm not strong enough to do it myself. There's some gold pieces in it for you!"

[Xavier]

Xavier had listened carefully to both the sheriff, and the apothecary.

Now he interupted briefly...

"Excuse me, just 2 questions I can think of right now...first, for the sheriff, who exactly was with you in the market square when it attacked?

"And for the apothecary...alchemical silver you say? Any idea where we would be able to obtain some of that? In a hurry?

"If it is a lycanthrope, then the full moon approaches with rapidity...the sooner we are able to equip ourselves effectively, the better off we will be..."

He watches both men carefully, attempting to gauge their responses to his questions...

[Nathan]

"Excuse me, just 2 questions I can think of right now...first, for the sheriff, who exactly was with you in the market square when it attacked?

"My three militia members. This is a small town, so we don't have the kind of police force you'd expect in a big city, just a few local boys who like to help out and get paid to keep order. I suppose I'll have to train up some new deputies now..."

"alchemical silver you say? Any idea where we would be able to obtain some of that? In a hurry?"

"Yes, the blacksmith should be able to sort you out with some!"

[Brother Charn]

[Aside to the apothecary while the sheriff is answering other questions] "Be the sheriff's wounds closing and healing well? I be a novice cleric, but trained well in the healing arts - and I bear the strength of Pelor," he indicates his holy symbol, "should divine assistance be craved."

[Nathan]

The apothecary leans in and whispers something to brother Charn, nobody else hears what he says.

[Xavier]

"Thank you both." Xavier paused, thinking for a while...

"Sheriff, I take it that your militia members were also attacked by the Tiger, as they must be the ill-fated men who were not lucky enough to survive. What I meant however, was whether or not anybody not of your party had been present. Anybody who you perhaps saw in the square or nearby, just prior to the attack?"

"And if you would be so kind as to give directions to the blacksmith, I think our next stop should be there, to discover what sort of aid he might be able to provide..."

[Brother Charn]

[aside to the apothecary] Charn's eyebrows raise briefly, then he winks at the apothecary. "I understand, sir."

[Nathan]

" What I meant however, was whether or not anybody not of your party had been present. Anybody who you perhaps saw in the square or nearby, just prior to the attack?"

"Nobody else was around, unless they were looking out of their windows."

"And if you would be so kind as to give directions to the blacksmith, I think our next stop should be there, to discover what sort of aid he might be able to provide..."

"I'm sure the mayor's assistant will be able to take you to the blacksmith. His forge is located on the road leading out of the town towards the east."

[Xavier]

"My thanks.

And the Tiger's tracks? Did anybody think to follow them after the attack? Perhaps see where it had come from, or where it was going?"

[Nathan]

"And the Tiger's tracks? Did anybody think to follow them after the attack? Perhaps see where it had come from, or where it was going?"

"The weather has been hot recently and the ground hard. Nobody could find any tracks to follow, although admittedly nobody is trained in tracking around here."

[Xavier]

He had not expected much more. Nodding his thanks, he lounged casually back against the wall, waiting patiently for the rest of the party to complete their questioning, so that they could move on to the blacksmith.

He was already contemplating the most effective way to make use of the alchemical silver, and wondering what the blacksmith would charge.

[Nathan]

Irian draws a short length of copper wire from her component pouch, grips it tightly, starts chanting and waving her hands briefly. She then points towards Xavier and whispers something.