Chapter Two: The Hippocampus on the Cracked Lintel

Are we anticipating finding a guide who knows how to get to the Badgerways and navigate the passages? They don't sound like something any non-weirdo would be familiar with, apart from their location alone.

Also, do our characters know what changelings are?

You could probably find your way into the Badgerways on your own. The trick will be figuring out where Zora was trying to go and what path she would have taken.

You all would know "changelings" as a catch-all term for shapeshifters, lycanthropes, faerie folk, etc.

We've done well so far by seeking out people who may have knowledge of Zora, rather than going directly for her location, and that's why I still think we head to Grine's Knot to see who she was trying to hire and why. If I'm outvoted, so be it, and we can head right for the Badgerways.

Either way let's leave ASAP, so we can either get to the river in the morning to hire a boat first thing or get to Grine's Knot before nightfall tomorrow. No one needs a long rest to memorize spells or heal, do they?

On that note, how about a quick vote on 1) walk to Grine's Knot vs 2) take a boat directly to the Badgerways? Nobody needs rest for spells/healing.

I'm fine with stopping over in Grine's Knot.

I feel like we could get some more info if we go to grine's knot... but taking the boat would go with our cover story we told Adan. If he finds out we didn't take the boat, it would give him more of a reason to try and find out where we're going and what we're doing... but at this point that may already be moot. So I guess I'm voting for Grine's Knot.

If Grine's Knot is the plan, would the party leave immediately or first thing in the morning? Does anybody have any other questions for Patlen?

Would we suffer any negative effects for leaving right now? We only got one hour of sleep, right?

Yeah, and Felor got 0 sleep. You might be penalized for fatigue if you get into a combat situation before you have a chance to properly rest, but you'll have to weight that against other concerns of course...

Patlen doesn't know about that wagon idea but offers that the village horses are stabled at Knuckle Merklin's house at the west end of the village. There's also Headlee, six miles down the road, which is a larger village and might have more vehicle-for-hire options.

Headlee is on the way to Grine's Knot, so you wouldn't lose any time by passing through it. Barring any objections, I'm gonna assume you guys are going to rest until dawn, cast Detect Magic on the gold, and head out on the road. Sound good?

Me too.