Have you ever wondered what makes a werewolf tick? What forces are at work that would make a human ally with such a creature? Designer Steve Miller takes you on a journey of discovery as he leads you ever deeper in the Circle of Vehlarr.

I learned years ago that there are some people that can't be trusted under any circumstances. My partner Arahnar would qualify as one such person due to her race; werewolves are just untrustworthy by their very nature… they betray other races as easily as the rest of us breathe. It's almost as if they can't help it. I trust Arahnar only because she feels she owes me her life, and therefore will-in all likelihood-not betray me until that debt has somehow been repaid.

Although we had come to Scornubel, a stinking cesspool of "civilization," to meet with the merchant known as Angah Lalla, I knew we would regret this choice the moment we set foot inside his shop. Although appearing large from the outside, inside it was a dimly lit maze of shelves and weapons-racks crammed with knick-nacks, books, scrolls, and weapons and armor that was mostly of designs that were unfamiliar to me. I suppose they were the "curios" that was one of Angah's specialties. The store reeked of a likewise unfamiliar incense; it hung so thick in the air that it made Arahnar gag and wrinkle her sensitive nose. I did not fare much better myself, almost preferring the stench of fish and unwashed bodies that was heavy in the streets outside.

Angah Lalla was as repulsive as his store. He stood at its far end, dressed in flowing robes of an off-white color, his face mostly hidden behind a black veil and hood that only left a sliver of his pale skin and almond-shaped eyes visible. A large gold amulet with strange runes engraved upon it hung around his neck. A long black braid into which several ribbons of cloth the same color as his robes had been tied was draped over his shoulder and across the battered surface of the counter he was behind. I immediately decided he couldn't be trusted; any man who does not show the world his face is not a person I wish to deal with. But Arahnar strode up to the counter, still twitching her nose, and said, "We're the ones looking for information about and maps of the Wood of Sharp Teeth."

He responded in a hoarse whisper, "Ah yes… I was told to expect you. I have what you want here." He reached under the counter and drew forth a bundle of three rolled scrolls that were tied together with a leather strap. As Arahnar reached for the bundle and I reached for my coin purse, however, the merchant took two steps back from his counter and said, "But first there are some other customers who are interested in knowing why you seek this knowledge."

A hidden door behind us opened. Three armored warriors stepped out, two men and a half-elven female. They wore garlands of wolf's bane around their necks and their short swords glinted in the dim light with the luster of silver. One of the men wore a tabard bearing the symbol of the Silver Stake, a company devoted to the extermination of werebeasts of all kinds. He said, "We have been led to believe that you have an interest in the Circle of Vehlarr. Only two kinds of people would make such inquiries… werewolves or those who hunt werewolves. Which are you?"

My hand tightened on my sword, as Arahnar and I turned to face the warriors. A vicious grin that I knew all too well was spreading across her face. The shop of this merchant, who had sold us out to these three fanatics, was about to run red with blood.

Angah Lalla is one of the most famous rogues in the city of Scornubel. Ostensibly a dealer of "items from exotic lands," his ware-packed shop near the center of city is wildly known among shady characters in the Western Heartlands as a place to fence that easily recognizable piece of treasure, as well as a clearing house for information of all kinds.

Angah is rumored to hail from the barbaric lands east of distant realms of Thay and Rashemen while other rumors hold he began his life in the even more distant and mysterious desert lands of Zhakar. His strange garb and the fact that no one has seen his face support these rumors.

The truth of the matter is that Angah is from neither those distant lands. "He" has, in fact, been two people since his arrival in the Caravan City, a man named Aareem and a woman named Leila. They are a married couple who fled to Scornubel from Sembia after angering a powerful merchant prince (and secretly a thief guild master) in that land. Maintaining contact only with their most trusted associates, they hid themselves behind the front of Angah Lalla and started a new life as the mysterious curio dealer, information peddler, and pawnbroker. "Angah's" amazing information gathering ability arises from the fact that he can literally be in two places at once, with one or the other individual chasing down information or buyers for hard-to-sell items, while the other remains in the shop. Although both Aareem and Leila are now in their late forties, "Angah" will probably continue to become more formidable as time goes by, for their teenaged daughter Ezther has recently joined the charade. All three speak in a hoarse whisper, although observant player characters may notice that he seems more nimble or better able to read odd languages, or perhaps a little taller on some days than others. The long black braid that Angah Lalla sports is actually part of the costume. Aareem, Leila, and Ezther all wear their black hair shorn close to their scalps. The amulet they wear around their necks when posing as Angah Lalla functions like a +2 ring of protection.

Aareem, male human, T13: AC 7 (Dex bonus and +2 amulet of protection); MV 12; HD 9+4; hp 44; THAC0 19/15; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (dagger); SA backstab; SZ M (5'9"); ML steady (12); Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 10; AL N.

Leila, female human, T9: AC 4 (Dex bonus and +2 amulet of protection); MV 12; HD 9; hp 37; THAC0 19/15; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (dagger); SA backstab; SZ M (5'7"); ML steady (12); Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14; AL N.

Ezther, female human, T3: AC 4 (Dex bonus and +2 amulet of protection); MV 12; HD 3; hp 11; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (dagger); SA backstab; SZ M (5'7"); ML average (10); Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 14; AL N.

The Silver Stake is a little-known adventuring company based out of Baldur's Gate. Their membership hovers between 20 and 30 individuals who operate mostly in the Western Heartlands and the North. Their numbers remains small, as they are neither treasure seekers nor mercenaries, but are instead dedicated to the tracking and extermination of all manner of natural evilly aligned lycanthropes. The members of the Silver Stake are willing to attempt to capture and cure those who have been infected by lycanthropy. Most such captives are brought to Baldur's Gate

The Silver Stake is led by Karel Mahorne, an elderly priestess of Mielikki (C16, hf, NG). She devoted her life to the destruction of evil lycanthropes after her husband and child fell beneath the claws of a werewolf pack several decades ago. The company of the Silver Stake took form when other adventurers who had been similarly robbed of loved ones heard of her cause. The years are starting to catch up with Karel, and she now rarely leaves the company's compound just outside Baldur's Gate. She dwells there with two acolytes (C2, hf, NG), a priestess of Selune (C7, hf, N) and a few men-at-arms (F4, hm, LN) who have been hired to protect her from vengeful werewolves and wereboars. She and the other clerics maintain a shrine devoted to Mielikki, collect lore about lycanthropes and the curing of those who are afflicted with the dread disease, and remain ready to assist members and would-be members of the Silver Stake in any way they can.

The ranks of the Silver Stake consist mostly of rangers and warriors, but they also include a number of priests. The majority of the members at the very least venerate Mielikki out of respect for their leader, although a significant portion of the female members worship Selune. Membership is open to any good-aligned character who shares the company's goals. Their levels and equipment vary greatly, but each member possesses at least one weapon of +1 enchantment or greater, as well as at least one silver weapon. The company's symbol is a silver spike on a black background.

The Search for the Circle of Vehlarr Archive
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

(Forgotten Realms Features Archive)