To the older woman

You decide to go to the older woman and help her. People like her, who spent the whole day selling stuff in the village center always know a lot. When you come closer you see that she mostly sells some bread, cookies and a few dry fruit cakes. Maybe she is related to the local baker. You doubt that there are many travelers wo come by here on their way to the capital, so she must mostly sell to the locals.

“Greetings,” you say to the old woman, “I am Clare from the mage guild. I just arrived with my mentor because of the monster that plagues your village.”

“Oh, welcome my dear,” the old woman says smiling, “I am Ruana. It’s great to see you here. We really need help with this. We already lost too many good people.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” you say sad, “my mentor and I will fix your problems, but we need some information about what is going on. Do you need any help with your stuff by the way?”

“I would be very grateful,” Ruana says happy, “my grandson is now in the militia to protect us and can’t help me with the sales anymore. But I am afraid I can’t help you much in return. I haven’t seen the monster by now. I only know that the guards suspect it to haunt the nearby forest, because it attacked the farms close to it the most.”

“That’s already very helpful,” you say and take care of some baskets with a few left fruits, “we just arrived and try to get a picture about how bad it is.”

“It is devastating, to be honest,” Ruana tells you sad, “five dead friends and neighbors. Everybody lives in fear that this thing could attack the village directly. And the guards … everyone who can fight already joined the militia, but they have no idea how we should deal with this monster. But even if we all survive, we lost a lot of farm animals, the fields need caring and we couldn’t collect mushrooms and berries in the forest. I fear the coming winter as much as the monster.”

“Can't your lord give you the right to hunt?” you ask worried, “just for a year, so you can deal with the damage?”

“Baronet Fenwick watches over his lands like an eagle,” Ruana mumbles a little bitter, “but … not over the people living on it. He is interested in other things.”

“Things like shining metal plates?” you guess.

“Like a magpie,” Ruana agrees laughing, “but … he is still much better than his father was. He was a man to fear. But let us not talk about the unpleasant past. You wanted to know about the monster, right? My son in law is among the poor victims of this horrible beast. He was surprised while washing some cabbage for dinner. My daughter had to watch it. She said the monster was a wolf. But big as a bull. Killed him in a single bite.”

“I am sorry for your loss,” you say sad, “may I ask if you know some of the other victims?”

“I think I know most of them, if not all,” Ruana says thinking, “everyone in this village comes to me when they need someone to talk. Let me think. The farms close to the forest got the most attacks. I would say, the north-eastern border of the forest is the closest entry. This area … it really only brings suffering.”

“It does?” you ask surprised, “why? Is there something?”

“Well, do you know about the rebellion many years ago?” Ruana asks, “you mages get history lessons, right? It was about 90 years ago. The kings loyalists had built an hidden outpost in the forest. Just some kind of stone house with a watchtower. After the rebellion, deserters and bandits took over this outpost and threatened the surroundings. I wasn’t born at that time, but my parents told me the militia suffered heavy losses to destroy their camp. We still tell our children to avois this area, because every now and then a thief or two try to hide there. But I waste your time with my old stories. This monster is most likely more interested in a cave than this old ruin.”

“Not necessarily,” you mumble thinking, “my mentor thinks the monster could be a chimera. A creature with body parts from several animals, created by dark magic for the sole purpose of killing. They are designed to understand simple orders by their creators and since they are used to humans, it is very likely that they prefer artificial buildings over natural hideouts. I think you just helped us a lot, Ruana.”

“Really?” Ruana asks surprised, “well, I am glad I could help you with my old stories. Still … I never had a problem with magic. But thinking that this think was created on purpose … It gives me goosebumps. I hope you can kill it and find the madman who created it.”

You finish helping Ruana with her stuff and get an apple for it. It is already getting dark and you can see the moon raising at horizon. With your reward you head back to the tavern to tell Tocar about what you were able to find out.