Kar waited patiently for the Lord to answer.  Only fitting since it was his dime.

"Savage murders have taken place this night, ones where the victims have been partially consumed by what has been described as a wolf-like beast. We wish to consult your expertise on identifying what it may be and how we should proceed to seek it out to capture or destroy it. We have an eye witness here with us to provide a more detailed description." Owain indicates Olven with an outstretched palm.

"A wolf-like beast," the dwarf said twiddling with his beard. “Are you certain?”

[Assuming that at least one of you indicates such certainty]

“So instead of running away from the beast about strike like sensible people would, you want to know how to fight it. I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else from a knight. But trust me; you are out of your league.” There is no mistaking what the dwarf wants to convey with his tone of voice, this creature is something scary.

“Leave this to those of us who know what we’re doing. We will take care of it presently.”

"Fate has a way of putting men where they need to be when they are needed. Twice have my companions encountered the beast already, one time next to Olven's very home. Dont let your pride cause you to turn away help when it is delivered to you. You know not what "league" we are in." Owain says dryly.

“If this thing truly is a powerful bestial alpha werewolf,” Anvil Ironfist said. “And there is no way of being sure without seeing what it can do and perhaps not even then. And if you try to find out, you will quiver in your boots as horror looks you right between the eyes and you will end up as its previous victims.”

“Listen to reason. You have brought this to my attention. I know how to deal with this thing and my friends and I have dealt with many. Rest assured that it will not infest this fair city much longer.”

"We have other business to attend to and it seems the problem is in good hands. Very well, I dont intend to pursue this further. However, it required a sizeable donation to come this far to inform you of the creatures activities. I intend to at least receive what I came to ask for. Tell us more of this alpha werewolf."

"A werewolf is someone with the innate ability to shapeshift into one or more wolf related shapes. Its mindset and abilities depend on which type of werewolf it is. But silver is how you deal with it.”

“And the worst case scenario is the most powerful werewolf you can think of inside a killer and from what you have said, this one certainly has the bestial mind.”

The monk listening, looks aside to the knight, implicitly asking his permission, then questions the dwarf, "Majere counsels you, yet that is all you can offer?  You hide this knowledge!  For what purpose?"

Kar pauses and rethinks himself, "If you knew of this menace then why not tell our Kalaman Brethren of such a simple defense?  What are you hiding?"

“If I had known there was a werewolf in the city, it would have been dealt with,” Anvil said. “Do you share everything you know? The dangers you have faced? The evil you have witnessed?” There was a dangerous gleam in the cleric’s eye. “Most would either panic or feel overconfident. And then, when you hear the creature creeping up behind, it’s already too late. And instead of leaving things to those that know how to handle them, you have become another victim. Is that what you want?”

"Still, sir, it would do well to warn Kalaman's people of this menace," Olven Wolf says, as respectfully as he can muster.  "Until the threat is dealt with, it isn't safe for citizens to be out of doors at night, alone."  He looks more sharply at Anvil.  "Or is that part of your plan?  To lull the beast into false security?"  The mercenary shakes his head and crosses his arms.

"If you say that we three cannot be of service, then that is enough for me."  Bowing his head a bit, Olven steps back and waits for his companions.

"That is the responsibility of the Watch," the dwarf said. “Not the church. I would suggest that you go home and hope that this is just imagination. And leave it to those of us who know what we’re dealing with.”

Kar answers the questions put before him,

"I do. Should you ask."

He lets the dwarf rant on for a moment, "We are only a victim of your hubris."

Gladly, Kar hears another interject, "We are . . .

He steps back, alongside Olven, stave crooked in his left arm, "as One."

Standing beside the quaint man, the monk looks to the knight, "Are you with us?"

“Not hubris,” Ironfist said. “Experience. You can go after this werewolf if you like, as many who do not know what they’re doing have done with other werewolves in the past, and no one’s gonna save you when you stand face to face with the night beast and the last thing you know is that you are not enough.”

"As Paladine asked Majere" . . . "then teach us."

“If I teach you,” Ironfist said. “There is no going back. Fear is no longer an option. Neutrality is no longer an option. Freedom is no longer an option. Your heart and soul and mind will be given to one purpose. Your old life will be left behind. And you will pay the ultimate price. So. Do you stand or do you fall?”

“Silver becomes your blood and this is the end of your life. In unity there are no branches and the solitary path only moves forward.”

Owain has had enough of this. Waiting patiently for his companions and the cleric to say their peace he then speaks his mind.

"Enough of the drama. We came to see that a dangerous beast was dealt with for the good of the people. Clearly the clerics do not wish to be forthcoming with their information and instead seek to impress us with mysticism and mystery. This nonsense about the end of our lives, our freedom, our neutrality is more than I can take. This is just a simple beast that needs a simple solution. I am content to leave this matter in their capable and most theatric hands."

Owain turns his head angrily away from the cleric for a moment biting back frustrated words then speaks to his companions.

"If you wish to continue on this path I will not try to stop you. If you request my help I will not abandon you, but I would prefer to go on about our business. How do you wish to procede?"

Owain Wolf raises his eyebrows in bewilderment.  Crinkling his forehead, he says, "I'll be honest, sir.  I didn't understand anything you just said.  We're here to help, but we're also charged by the king with aiding the rebuilding process.  We don't have time to be transformed into another state of being or whatever you just proposed."  Spreading his arms before him, he says, "No disrespect, sir, but my duty is to the king first."

Wolf nods to Owain.  "I'm at your disposal, Knight.  If we're not needed here, we can begin preparations for our journey."

Kar, uncertain as to the dwarf's offer of knowledge, stands beside those with which he had come.  Bowing his head, he offers up a short prayer to Majere.

ooc: Awaiting response to a PM

"I have faith!!"

Kar . . . thinking, fear is the 'lil mind killer . . . a holy man, within a temple, thinking, i am safe . . . as he steps away from those he came with, his eyes look to them, speaking volumes.

He kneels before Anvil, "I am your student."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:50, Thu 08 Apr 2010.

Leave it to a monk to fall victim to superstitious mumbo-jumbo. Owain frowns disapprovingly as the monk falls to his knees to request gods know what from the cleric.

"When you are done here you can find me at Dragonword keep, just ask for me by name at the gate. You know where to find Olven." says Owain to Kar.

To the cleric, in parting, Owain speaks, "I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I will not see you again alive. I wish you well on your hunt and hope that my gut feeling is mistaken. Take care of this one here, he is needed elsewhere in a couple of days time. If you change your mind about accepting our aid we can be found for a couple of days yet before we set out on our task. Gods keep you."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:51, Fri 09 Apr 2010.

"Shall we adjourn, then?" Olven asks.  "We'll meet again in the morning to plan our journey.  Sir Owain, I'll accompany you back to the Keep, just in case we see further evidence of this wolf-like creature."

"Good," Anvil said. "I hope you travel in safely and we will deal with the night creature.

The two warriors left the temple without further incident and arrived at the keep less than an hour later, as they approached the doors, the heroes noted that they're open wide and a contingent of knights were leaving for the wall.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:52, Sat 10 Apr 2010.

The contigent of guards was about the right size for a changing of the guard, so Owain does not think much of the encounter. He stands aside allowing the knights to pass and examines them lazily for any signs that something other than the typical was going on.

As the knights rode past them, one of them, a friend of Owain’s, stopped to talk to them.

“The Gold Guard are on their toes tonight," he said. “You close your eyes and try to sleep, but sleep doesn’t come. Restless. As the calm before the storm. No, the storm has already started.”
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:00, Tue 13 Apr 2010.

Olven Wolf watches the knights' procession, then says quietly to Owain, "You know where to find me.  We should make preparations to leave tomorrow."  With a friendly nod at the night, Olven turns and heads back to his home, senses still alert from their brush with death earlier in the evening.