Weretiger's Curse - ACT II: After the tiger.

[Nathan]

When you awaken, you find yourselves in the Apothecary's place. Everyone seems to be alive, but Xavier has large bite-marks on his arms which you're sure weren't there before. The apothecary is moving between you as you lie on beds, tending to your various wounds.

You don't know how long it's been since your fight with the tigers, but it's light outside.

[Xavier]

Xavier slits his eyes, assessing the situation, and trying to see if anybody else is in the room. He wriggles slightly, to determine whether he still carries his hidden weapons, and whether or not he can stand.

[Brother Charn]

Charn jerks awake with a shout, "Solaris Sempre!" gasping for air, choking on dread and the memory of paralysis-induced panic.

He looks about, shaking, trying to gather his wits about him. It is a slow process.

[Vargon]

Vargon slowly regain consciousness

"For the breath of Pelor, what's happened! Why we are here?"
He asked looking at the Apothecary

[Irian]

Irian's eyes slowly open. Rubbing her head, she feels shame at what she is sure her friends will view as cowardice. She sees Brother Charn, and realising he was the last of them still standing after she was hit, asks softly, "What happened?"

[Brother Charn]

Charn answers Irian, "The creature, having just turned from a tiger - larger by twice than the first - turned into a strange-looking human... easily twice as tall as we be... he struck a hex of paralysis upon me, then beat you all unconscious - even Vargon and Caamora, who I had just revived.

"He then bit Xavier, twice, while he lay unconscious already! - in the town square. Paralysed, I could do naught but watch.

"It makes no sense to me... why would the beast do this, unless Xavier did something to anger him... but then why would he yet live? Only Pelor knows... He could easily have slain us all.

"Next, he struck me, and I awakened here with the lot of you. I assume the good apothecary is responsible for that, since he seems to ministering our hurts..."

[Irian]

Irian glanced towards Roger, the apothecary, wondering at a chance answer he had given to a question she had asked previously regarding herbs and healing. Whoever heard of an apothecary who relied more on spells for healing than herbs and the tinctures one would concoct with them?

And if he was with the sheriff when he transformed into the tiger, how did he manage to survive witnessing the transformation with nary a scratch?

Aye, still your suspicions girl. Roger is the one who told you of the alchemical silver. Though your gut instinct towards the sheriff was not wrong...

Irian then met the eyes of the rogue, and quietly asked Charn without looking towards him, "He turned back into a tiger prior to biting Xavier? Or are those humanoid bite marks on Xavier's arm? If he remained humanoid, the question of why he bit Xavier is more puzzling than ever. As beast, perhaps it was instinctive behavior."

Addressing the rogue directly, Irian became blunt. "What did he whisper to you, and how did you reply prior to being hit? You and I have had words, but never have I actually disagreed with what you have said. Perhaps this exchange could help us with this puzzle...

"...should you desire we puzzle it out?"

[Brother Charn]

"The creature was a tiger when it bit Xavier."

[Irian]

Irian broke her gaze with the rogue. "The creature did turn back into a tiger first? So perhaps it's control over what form it took during the full moon is not complete.

Do the bites pain you, Xavier? And if you would, please enlighten us on what transpired between the two of you."

She then tried to catch the attention of the apothecary. "Roger?

"Were you here with the sheriff as he transformed? I believe you told me you wished to keep him here until after the full moon had passed, for fear he would go after the weretiger himself. Little did we know... If you were here, can you describe what happened from an hour before moonrise until his transformation? Were there any signs the transformation would be upon him? I think we can all say his roar upon becoming a tiger was heard by us all in the square.

"And I am with Vargon and the good brother now. How did you come across us and manage to bring the entire party here?"

[trying to keep her suspicious nature under control, Irian does a Sense Motive check as she talks with Roger]

[Nathan]

Roger the Apothecary takes a seat and begins talking:

"I'll tell the story from the beginning (from my point of view).

I intended to keep the sheriff here one more night so that he wouldn't be able to get involved in the fight with the weretiger. It had beaten him once, and he didn't even have an effective weapon. I knew that if he thought himself fit and healthy enough he would want to fight again, so I mislead him into believing his wounds were still hurting him.

I was standing right next to him when he transformed into a tiger before my very eyes! The moment the moonlight hit him he seemed to enter a battle of wills with the animal trying to take him over! I could see the struggle on his face as he lost the battle and turned into a ravening beast! I immediately ran into the store cupboard and barred the door, also blocking it with a ladder, and bracing my strength against the tiger breaking through. The tiger did attempt to come through the door, but it is stout and my strength was enough to keep the tiger out for long enough that it got bored and searched for easier prey. It let out a roar and left me.

After I had calmed down enough that I was able to take more action, I left and headed for the town square to make sure you were all ok. I found you unconscious, and the sheriff dead. I assumed you'd beaten the sheriff but succumbed to your wounds afterwards, but then I saw many of your wounds were of a different nature. Your explanation of the giant man makes more sense.

You will all be back to perfect health after another day's rest, if you want to stay here.

I do have one piece of bad news for you, Xavier. Seeing the sheriff transform reminded me of something my mentor Joseph was researching in his lycanthropic studies: When bitten by a lycanthrope there is a chance you may turn into one yourself! This must be what happened to the sheriff! I don't know if there's a cure for the affliction, and I don't know how to tell whether the disease has been contracted, but Joseph will know. You can find him at the guild of Apothecaries and Physicians in the capital, Scragnoth."

[Xavier]

The rogue cursed bitterly, and muttered to himself, "It's not like the joke was that bad..."

He shook his head slowly. "Well friends, it seems that my own future has been chosen. I must away to Scragnoth and the Guild of Physicians. I'd rather like to know whether or not I will turn into a ravening beast come the next full moon."

He grinned wryly..."And if I do, I can think of somebody I'll be looking for when it happens...

You each will have to choose your own paths now. But I must remain here until the smith finishes my bow, and then I will be taking the fastest road to the capital."

[Vargon]

"For the eyes of Pelor... I can't believe!"

He shook his head.

"Xavier, i'm sorry but i have to say one thing: I have to protect Irian so i can't follow you unless she decide to come with you.
And one more thing... now you are a threat for us all... if you change in that monster... you could kill us all easly..."

He looked in his eyes

[Irian]

Now you remember!!! Irian silently ranted at the apothecary bitterly. Something wasn't jiving, but her knowledge of lycanthropes was too scant to figure out what it was.

"Even though as a tiger the sheriff was smaller than the second tiger, he was still powerful. The shop door is stout, but you must be glad the sheriff turned aside when he did.

"Xavier...

"We have worked together as a party less than a week, and truthfully, we all know very little of each other. My impression of you is that you usually work alone...

"What is your feelings regarding company as you go in search of answers? I, for one, still have no intent of returning home, and am at loose ends. I have never been to the capital..."

[Irian]

Irian watched the rogue arrange his thoughts. Best give him some time...

Turning towards the apothecary once again, she asked, "Roger, you said we would be in perfect health if we stayed here to fully rest another day. What harm may come to me should I leave now? Simple fatigue? Or anything more?

"I wish to speak again with the smith, and if we should choose to leave with Xavier, fear my request may take too long to fill if I wait a day."

[Nathan]

Roger says

"I'll go and see the smith for you and convey your request to him. You should stay here to get your rest."

[Irian]

"It is no bother? I thank you.

"I am interested in acquiring a longbow. My crossbow is sturdy, but I felt at a disadvantage with it's accuracy range in the square. I would like it to be the best possible for my size and strength, and am willing to pay for that."

She casts a pained glance towards Xavier, and her voice shakes a bit...

"Also, I would like..."

She takes a breath, and calms herself.

"Should the smith have any alchemical silver left, I would like 40 arrows for the longbow; 20 of them imbued with the silver. It seems there is a possibility we may yet deal with lycanthropes in our travels..."

[Nathan]

Roger agrees to request these things from the smith and then leaves.

[Xavier]

The rogue laughed once more..."All the better to defend yourselves against me?" He shook his head..."no, you are right. Although, seeing how useful the alchemical silver was against the other tiger..."

He turned to Vargon. Don't worry my friend, if I turn on you all, I won't hold it against you if you kill me." He winked. "Hopefully it won't come to that though. There may be precautions we can take...like locking you all away safely on nights of the full moon..." He winked again, smiling.

"Truly, you have been...interesting companions. You must choose your own paths...I will not hold it against you if you wish to travel elsewhere. If you journey to the capital also, I will be glad of your company. But I can obviously make no promises as to the safety thereof. Accompany me at your own risk.

That said, I don't see why I shouldn't have a month of grace...it was a month between the attack on the Sherrif, (presumably by this same tiger), and his transformation.

How long will it take us to reach the capital?" He turned enquiringly toward the apothecary.

"Oh," he added, "I'll take another quiver of arrows from the blacksmith too for that matter. Just plain ones." He grinned at that last. Perhaps slightly ferally.

[Irian]

Irian watched the apothcary depart, then turns to her friends. "He's hiding something, or lying about something. Or...something. Something isn't what it should be. Be wary how much you decide to trust him..."

[Xavier]

"Now that is cheerful news. And not particularly helpful I fear."

He shook his head...

Either way, the fact is that I have been bitten, as the sherrif was bitten. And the only lead I have to finding out more about it is in the capital.

Unless you are suggesting we torture the apothecary? Or threaten him? Is anybody good at intimidation?"

While the apothecary goes to the blacksmith, Xavier searches the room.