View source for Book 2/Chapter 1: Wolf(e) Island

{{Ghost Town chapter 
| parentordinal = 2
| ordinal       = 1
| title    = Wolf(e) Island
| blurb    = In which a celebration of spring is interrupted by winter, and an injured aggressor becomes a protégé. 
| content  =
It has been six months since the incident at [[Tir nan Og]]. A party is held on [[Wolfe Island]] to celebrate the coming of spring, and [[Sam Parrotfish]] is front and centre dancing and having fun. [[Randy]] is selling potions, and on the way to actually making a profit for the day.

Not far away, [[StarTek]] has organized a company party for their mandated quota of Fun Hours. Attendance is mandatory, and [[Jayne]] is the only one having any fun. [[Hepsebah]] has started working at StarTek again, and is bored out of her skull. When she hears music coming from the other party she takes the first opportunity to leave. Jayne sees Hepsebah leave and follows to remind her that she's supposed to be at the mandatory company party, but can't screw up the courage to tell her off for fear of "rocking the boat".

[[Lucerne]] has heard stories about what happened six months ago, and has been doing research. This research leads her and noted Monsterologist [[Charles Monster]] to Wolfe Island to track down the source of some supernatural emanations. [[Rishon]] notices the two attempting (and failing) to research the paranormal at the library and, curious, follows them to Wolfe Island.

Everyone runs into each other at Randy's booth, just as the weather suddenly goes foul. The temperature drops, the wind picks up, and an announcement is made that Environment Canada has declared a severe winter storm warning. As the disgruntled party-goers mill about, heading for the ferry, Rishon comes with a dire warning: it is imperative that this group ''not'' get on the ferry. Finally it is just Randy, Hepsebah, Jayne, Lucerne, Sam and Rishon standing on the grass.

With a snarl, a wolf suddenly jumps out of the woods and right in the middle of the group. At first it looks like the wolf is just as surprised as the others, but then it jumps at Randy! Randy tries to fend it off, but it bites him on the leg. The wolf is about to maul him but Jayne whacks it on an injured knee, and with a whimper it crumples. On the way to the ground, the wolf turns into a stark-naked young man.

[[Chet]], who has been in a meeting with other StarTek managers in a house on the island, sees the people in trouble. He hurries out to help bring the young man indoors, and everyone takes shelter from the wind and cold. It proves very difficult to help the young man recover. Even wrapped in blankets and placed next to the fireplace, he remains unconscious, shivering uncontrollably, his skin cold to the touch. He has also been badly hurt: he has many cuts, bruises and abrasions &mdash; more than can be accounted for by Jayne's strike.

Rishon senses some creatures converging on the little house, and the others hear wolves howling. Fearing for themselves and the young man they're caring for, the group fortifies the house and takes defensive positions around the inside. The house is attacked by three werewolves, but it turns out they are friends of the man the PCs rescued. His name is [[Bruce MacTire]], and his three friends are [[Jenna Okami]], [[Susi Malbon]] and [[Mike Lobo]]. Together they form a pack, calling themselves the [[Smacht&oacute;far]], which is badly-translated Gaelic for "Dominators". Bruce's friends explain that he is their leader, and that he went missing several days ago. They had been looking for him ever since, but today was the first day they actually managed to pick up his trail.

Now everyone is sheltered inside a stranger's house, keeping out of the cold and deciding what to do next...
}}