"It is good to meet you all," replied Foswel.  "If you are helping the folk of Dolmor, why don't you come inside?"  He stepped back, gesturing that they might enter the cabin.  "My daughter and I were about to have some tea, and I should be able to get some additional places."

"I do wish that I had greater insight into the matter," he added.  "I cannot think what Dolmor might have to offer to cause the wolves to behave so strangely.  Human-like cunning, yes, if the wolves being controlled by a man--but what does Dolmor have to offer, but wine?  It's good wine, of course--the soil seems to be especially suited to their efforts, but ..."  He shook his head.

Inside, the cabin seemed larger than perhaps it should have, from what they had seen in their approach.  From the main room, there were two doors.  In the main room, there were a number of tables and materials for making poultices and potions and such, as well as a corner which was clearly devoted to consuming meals.  A young woman, perhaps even as young as mid-teens, was inside, and appeared to be engaged in preparing the tea that Foswel had mentioned.

"Villain with a pretty daughter! Two reasons to stay outside! But I must have tea, it would be bad manners to refuse even if he is a werewolf murderer, right?" Clip moved in with the rest and took a seat near the girl, introducing himself with his best smile, "Clip at your service, lady, man of the world and lover of the finer things."

With a matador's grace, Risa quarter spun and sidestepped out of Clip's way as the rascal made a beeline for the nearest eligible female.  Such a rush-by had been expected from the moment the word 'daughter' left the druid's lips.

Risa followed the druid into his home, glancing at the work tables as they passed.  She accepted a seat when the druid offered.

"What does Dolomor have to offer but wine?" she repeated.  "Our wolf mastermind need not be motivated by material gain.  Perhaps there is someone who has been wronged or slighted looking for payback.  Could be a jilted lover, or the subject of a curse."

"We're new to Dolmor, and know nothing of past events here, short of the attack on Willy's chickens.  Can you think of anyone who has been cast out or who might be looking for revenge of some sort?"

"A very young daugther, Clip!" Kethryl whispered as the rogue all but dashed into the house.

The elf followed, Clip, albeit at a much more dignified pace. He nodded in greeting to the druid's daughter, and took a seat at the table.

"Is it possible that there is another village or another vineyard that is envious of Dolmor's vintages? Enough, to consider murder to stifle the competition?

It seems preposterous, but stranger things have been done in the name of wealth."

Fram let out a gruff chuckle at Clip's sudden turn and followed the others inside; he accepted tea when it was offered, kept quiet otherwise and watched.

Myron took a seat by Risa and accepted a cup of tea from the young girl. He rolled his eyes at Clip figuring he was a pervert for hitting on a 13 year old girl or so. No moral standards.

Clip glared back. In some cultures, 13 would be an old maid. People should not impose alien moral standards upon young, impressionable girls who might believe them. Young girls should be free to believe any handsome, charming stranger who happened along. After all, charming strangers often gave young girls their first really good stories! Everyone needs good memories for their old age.

"It's very nice to meet all of you," said Sera, as she started bringing over extra chairs and a bench, as well as a few stools.  Like her father, she was dressed in simple russet--a material which was, perhaps, less than flattering for her complexion.

"The attack on Willy's chickens was perhaps the closest to normal activity of the wolves," said Foswel, "except that this winter just past was not so severe that wolves would have normally been driven to such things.  Nor has there been troubles before for the folk of Dolmor."

He seemed thoughtful as Sera brought around tea.  "As good as the wine of Dolmor is, stifling competition?  No, I can't quite see that.  Other such wineries are much further afield.  Dolmor does not seem large enough to have drawn enemies, and yet with the strange behavior of the wolves, it seems that it somehow has."

"Thank you, young lady," Kethryl remarks when Sera brings him a mug of tea.

"What are the odd behaviours that these wolves have shown? Besides their atypical hunting tactics."

Clip draped his arm around the young lady while muttering, "Werewolf, werewolf," under his breath. He smiled at the woman while keeping one eye on the murderous druid werewolf who would surely kill them all next transformation.

Sera moved from her seat, bringing over more cups of tea to the table, and then took a seat next to her father, away from Clip.

"Atypical hunting--well, that is something that can't be ignored," said Foswel.  "Wolves run in the woods, but they stay well away from settlements, even such as Dolmor, unless there have been other stresses--a very harsh winter, for example.  These wolves have not only come to Dolmor and attacked Willy's chicken coop--but they continue to approach the village.  But not to attack.  It doesn't make sense, and in all my years, I have never seen wolves behave in this manner."

Kethryl takes a sip of tea, then asks the druid, "When they come to watch Dolmor, is it in the evening? At night?

Do you have any idea of how many are in the pack? We killed a handful of them when we arrived."

Risa thanked Sera and quite convincingly pretended to enjoy the tea.

She waited for Foswel to answer Kethryl's question before asking more of her own.  So far the druid had given them little to nothing of any use, but that was probably not his fault.  He had already been consulted and had nothing to tell the townspeople.  Additionally, he was likely to know little of the social goings on within Dolmor.  Who had made enemies of whom was a better question for the church busybodies and tavern gossips.  She needed to focus on things the druid would have solid answers for.

"Did you advise the townspeople to burn the wolf body they brought you?  If so, why?  Is that a standard precaution or special to this unusual case of bewitched canines?"

She had other questions for the druid.

"What sort of magical rapport do you have with the animals?  If we were to bring you one of the wolves alive would you be able to speak to it?  Befriend or take control of it?  Convince it to lead us to its master?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:15, Fri 18 Mar 2022.

"Based on the sounds when the wolves were around Dolmor, howling at night," said Foswel, "I would guess that the pack is a fairly large one, though it seems that perhaps only five or so are seen at a time--another rather unusual behavior, to have some part of the pack doing something, almost as though they had been sent on an assignment."

"Burning the wolf was more Father Lehar's wish," Foswel continued.  "And it certainly did no harm--I might have hoped that it would help calm things, but I suppose that would only have happened if the wolves hadn't continued to harass Dolmor."

"While I might be able to talk to a wolf, I can't say that I'd have much luck with befriending or controlling it," he added.

"Werewolf," Clip muttered. He leaned back, sipping the tea. His face was drawn in thought, pondering the intelligence behind the attacks. No wolf was behind this! "Something is directing them, Master Foswel. If not you, then what? It's not been here before recent days, there would be myth and song about it. So, the question is, what's moved into the forest and why? Since I take it you'd object to us burning it out, what can you suggest to find this interloper?"

"You think it IS a werewolf leading them? Or a Vampire? Aren't those intelligent creatures that run with wolves? I don't know, but that was a rumor I heard anyway. Silver weapons? Holy Water?"

Ixion shakes off some dust and waves away the tea, grunting "Makes me smell odd."



Responding to Foswel - "It sounds as though you could communicate with one if we can capture it alive.  Maybe cypher how to calm this down."

Ixion's eyes wander to Clip,then Myron, then Risa "The wolves may have a common place to drink from, a river, pond or such.  I track dem either to the watering hole or deir den.  Set a trap to catch one, while we all chase off the other four.  Bring it back to Foswel to learn what they are up to."

Risa shook her head with a shrug.

"We don't have the wealth for silver weapons.  Tokef help us if we're up against a vampire.  We will use his help, vampire or not, by hunting these wolves during daylight.  I don't think we'll need holy water just yet."

Later Risa expanded on Ixion's plan.

"We can go to the hunter's club and see if they have a cage that will hold a wolf.  If not, someone in town should be able to build one.  We'll bring the cage here.  Foswel, Sera, and I will craft a sedative for darts and arrows so we can take a wolf alive.  When all is in place we can put Ixion's plan into motion.  We will detect magic during or after the fight to learn more, then bring the wolf to the cage here for Foswel to speak to it when it wakes.  Myron, would you be able to detect magic today?"

She looked around to see if others had suggestions.

"Yes, I can memorize Detect Magic." he informs her.

"Excellent, that should let us know if the wolves are under some sort of spell.  I doubt we'll get much out of our captured wolf if it's still controlled by a spell.  Luckily, spells don't last forever."

Risa finished her tea, and looked around the room.  No objections to the plan, but no suggestions either.  She took that as unanimous tacit agreement.

"Alright," she said, standing up and directing folks to the door.  "Sitting around drinking tea all day isn't going to solve Dolmor's wolf problem.  Most of you, go get a wolf cage from the hunters or have them craft one.  Don't buy it.  Be clear that we want it so Foswel can get information from a captured wolf.  If they push back, involve the mayor.  Bring the cage here.  Traps might come in handy too, but our plans don't require them."

She herded Clip and Kethryl away from the others.

"Clip, socialize with the townspeople.  Find out who, if anyone has been outcast, scorned, jilted.  I'm particularly interested in anyone who might've been cursed or has divine magic ties other than Father Lehar and Brother Daniel."

She leaned over to Kethryl and whispered something in his ear.


Once everyone was on their way, she put her hands on her hips and regarded the druid's potion crafting tables.  As a guest, she didn't begin work on the sedative yet.  This was his workshop.  Risa would let him take the lead, but would assist rather assertively.  She turned to Foswel.

"I know two formulae for bloodstream tranquilizers.  Both recipes have some ingredient flexibility.  Do you have any poppy seeds, stomach acid, bloodroot, or wasp venom?  We can start with any one of those."

Fram had been happy to let the others talk, but there was one way he could contribute besides hitting things:

"The wolf at death's door leave; I can it to health restore... after of course it is bound."

In reply to Fram Fjornborg (msg # 265):

"Muzzle it too." Myron replied, so it couldn't bite.

"Bloodroot, that I've got," agreed Foswel.  As the others prepared to depart, he said, "It has been a pleasure to meet all of you."