Irwin

Irwin was the mayor of Vila's Watch, as well as a werewolf and the murderer of Bertram Rhastur.

Appearance
In his human form, Irwin was a short man with black hair and a wiry mustache. He could also transform into a wolf or a man-wolf hybrid.

Personality
At first glance, Irwin was a pompous man and valued his wealth and status above all else. Behind his blustering exterior, however, he was a hardened killer who truly believes himself a monster due to his lycanthropy. He was spiteful, wanting to drag others down with him, and was more than willing to commit brutal murder and frame innocents to maintain his position.

Background
At some point earlier in his life, Irwin became afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy. He believed that Alethus abandoned him once he became a werewolf and determined that he wouldn't go down alone. He began accumulating wealth and influence within Vila's Watch, likely murdering those who got in his way. He was possibly the source of Vila's Watch's wolf problem that led to the construction of the wall surrounding the village, about 20 years prior to the Pog Champions' arrival. Irwin, already in a position of power at this point, financed the wall's creation along with one of his frequent business partners, Bertram Rhastur, the village butcher. At some point, Irwin's maid, Meredith, learned his secret and, wanting to support him, asked him to turn her as well. Eventually, Irwin's business relationship with Bertram turned sour and Irwin decided that murder was the best way to get his money back. He waited for a night when Bertram was home alone and brutally murdered him, partially consuming Bertram's body. Irwin also attacked Drakov, turning him into a werewolf and leaving him at the scene of the crime to take the fall. Irwin also arranged for Grinlief Dartson, a novice detective who quickly proved to be incompetent, to lead the investigation, further ensuring he wouldn't be tied to the murder.

Werewolves Arc
Having agreed to assist with the murder investigation in order to enter Vila's Watch at all, the party was directed to Irwin's manor to gain official permission. Irwin allowed the party to help in exchange for a paltry reward, although he told them to work with Grinlief, claiming he was a highly trusted expert. The party followed the lead of a single black hair left at the crime scene, as well as a hunch about werewolves that proved correct, to Drakov at the Dark Oak Tavern. Motivated by Natasha's defense of her brother, the party questioned Drakov and eventually caught him in a contradiction. Drakov confessed that he didn't kill Bertram: Irwin did, and Drakov feared reprisals against his sister and her husband if he told anyone. The party changed their focus to Irwin in an attempt to clear Drakov's name. Eventually, they managed to flush Irwin out by having Grinlief offer him a silver cup, which burned Irwin's hand. Irwin retreated to his manor, where he fought the party and was ultimately knocked unconscious, along with Meredith. The party's successful wrap-up of the case, however, was interrupted by Tyrian's arrival, and the fate of the investigation was left in the hands of Grinlief and the town guard.

Vila's Watch, Post-Tyrian
During the party's Tyrian-induced absence from Vila's Watch, Grinlief led Irwin's arrest. He was also accused of Meredith's murder (actually committed by Slumberjack during the chaos caused by Tyrian) as well as Bertram's. Irwin was confined to a small cage in the town square, reinforced with silver bars so that he couldn't escape. The village turned against him, pelting him with rotten food. When the party last saw him, he was defeated and resigned to his eventual execution, although he denied doing anything to hurt Meredith. He was likely executed for his crimes after the party left Vila's Watch, although with Grinlief in charge of the prosecution, there's the tiniest chance he escaped death. Considering that Grinlief is the current mayor, though, this now seems unlikely.

Goals
Irwin seemed determined to accumulate as much personal wealth as possible, regardless of the costs to others. He also didn't want to be forsaken by Alethus alone and wished to take others with him.

Abilities
As a werewolf, Irwin was able to transform into a wolf or into a human-wolf hybrid creature at will. He was also surprisingly strong and had resistance to non-magical weapon attacks. However, his lycanthropy gave him a weakness to silver, which burned him to touch.

Irwin and Meredith
According to Irwin, Meredith offered to help Irwin in his bloody endeavors of her own accord and asked Irwin to change her. She assisted him during his last stand against the Pog Champions, supporting Irwin's belief in her. Despite his conviction that she would never betray him and his appreciation of her, Irwin admitted that he never understood why she was so devoted to him.

Quotes

 * Name: "Quote."

Trivia

 * Trivia 1
 * Trivia 2