Chapter 2: Hope

You march your forlorn bandit prisoners north, toward Hope. After an hour, the forest gives way to farmland. Several of the farms lie fallow and some of the homesteads are abandoned. A few are even burned to the ground. However others stand defiant with vibrant homes and sprawling crops.Eventually you round a hill and the town itself comes into view. An old keep overlooks this village that looks like it was once home to 500 people or more. Banners are conspicuously missing from its battlements.

After the keep, a great hand carved of black stone is Hope's second-most-visible landmark, rising up at the center of the village with its thumb and five fingers splayed out. The area around the hand is a great dig, where someone has appeared to have tried and failed to excavate whatever is underneath.

An open-air stone temple, a two-story inn built atop steaming hot springs, and an outfitters’ shop stand among two dozen other buildings that make up the heart of the village, while farmhouses dot the neighboring hillsides, surrounded by broad fields of crops.The sun is high in the sky and lunch hour fast approaches. A bell rings somewhere in the town as you approach. A pair emerges from behind the inn, hastily donning jackets and doing up sword belts, which you quickly realize are old Arkasian military issue. Eight bowmen emerge from other buildings and start taking up positions along a low, crumbling wall, although none draw arrows yet. The two dressed in Arkasian uniforms stride up the road toward you.

"Good day, strangers. Looks like you ran into some of our wayward citizens along the road. Many thanks for brining them in alive, I doubt they deserved. I'm Ruth Willowmane, the sheriff 'round these parts. This is my brother, Matthew, and them back there with their bows are just being cautious, don't be offended. Mind telling us who you are and stating your business?"

The Sheriff's tone is friendly but assertive. Matthew is silent and studies each of you carefully.

"Well, that's quite the story! My thanks to you all." the sheriff calls out. She waves her hand behind her and the bowmen disperse back into their respective buildings.

"Yeah I recognize these louts. Not the smartest residents, but good people all of them. They're lucky you didn't put holes in their hides. Matthew, take 'em up to station and take their stories in their words. Maybe get them a stiff drink."

If the party consents to Matthew taking their prisoners, the former bandits all give sheepish thanks to the party.

Ruth also responds to Kaa's comments: "We are indeed feeling a bit outnumbered. Any chance you brought that big ol' axe all this way to help even the numbers out?"

To Euphoria, the sheriff nods

"I understand. We are a little cash-strapped at the moment, truth be told. That part Artur told you about the reward was nonsense, probably just wanted to make sure you didn't kill the four of them. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful - saved me the trouble and danger. I can offer a purse of 60 gold for you to share between yourselves. Or, if you prefer, the town has plenty of property. There's a nIce farmhouse just on the hill up there, been vacant a while. I'll sign the deed over right now. Feel free to look it over before you decide."

"And hey, if you feel inclined to help us solve this bandit problem for good, we'll show our gratitude by sharing some of our old magic treasures from the Imperial days. Weapons, armor, a spell book."

To Hilmar, the Sheriff says "Yep, might be able to get some good coin for those, look like good quality. Wonder where Ralavaz is finding good steel like that? Not like he's got a forge holed up in that Lonely Tower of his. You should drop by Grayhorn Outfitters. He pays a fair price for used quality goods."

Sheriff Willowmane responds to Kaa's interest in rest:

"The Summerspring Inn is a good place to rest. See that irregular-shaped two-story building at the center of town, see the one with the steam coming out of the pipes on the side there? Run by Amanda Jess. It looks a little ramshackle but there's nothing more relaxing than a dip in the natural hot springs bellow."

The party arrives at Greyhorn Outfitters. A pair of huge black horns protrudes out from above the heavy wooden door of this large shop. A horseshoe, a bundle of rope, and a pickaxe are carved into the sign that hangs overhead. One side of the building features a stable with twelve stalls, presently holding four well-worked draft horses and a beautiful white stallion.

Grayhorn Outfitters is a cluttered mess holding all forms of tack and equipment, including both adventuring and exploration gear. In the back you can see arms and armor of all sizes. Inside you meet Gavun and Arianne Greyhorn, the sturdy but elderly couple that runs the shop.

"Hey, some new folks in town, welcome! That's some good steel there. I'll be sure to give you a fair price."

---

Some of the party move on to the Summerspring Inn in search of a hot bath. They arrive at the large, two-story building which seems to sit slightly askew, supported at its corners by heavy beams that keep it from collapsing completely. Whenever the wind blows, the whole building makes a deep creaking sound, like someone trying to get comfortable in a tilting chair.

Inside you meet Amanda Jess, owner and proprietor. She doesn't look quite as old as the Greyhorns, but maybe she has just aged better, it's hard to say. She gets anyone who asks a hefty lunch started: baked hare with garlic and crowberry tart with a Glass of apple cider. While she's cooking, Amanda asks some pointed questions:

"Word has it that you brought back Artur and them without a scratch! How'd you manage a trick like that? I say I haven't seen such a fearsome company come through here in quite some time, at least not one on our side. What brings you to Hope?"

To Kaa, Amanda smiles a knowing smile, the kind a grandmother gives a favorite grandchild. "Oh I'm sure you're a fierce one! But I wouldn't want to get on any of your bad sides. Really appreciate your work. You know, if it helps keep you in town a little longer I'd be happy to cook you two square meals a day, no charge at all for as long as your fierceness is keeping this town safe. Bath too, free of chare!"

As Alfrey discusses the house, Amanda can't help but give her two cents, even if he wasn't talking to her.

"The long run is the key there, my friend. Wont' be any buyers for quite some time. People are only leaving this beautiful town these days. I've been here for twenty odd years, and this is the worst I've seen things. Not to discourage you, that place is lovely. Used to belong to the Whitesparow family, bless their souls. But don't take it as an investment or you'll be disappointed."

Mr. Greyhorn calls out "We all call him Butterscotch! If you want to feed him, there's some apples in the barrel back yonder."

The old couple get quite a kick out of Euphoria's bargaining tactics and they end up throwing in the pen for free. "It's worth it to see some young folk with high spirits. Hope you're contagious!"

Amanda greets Euphoria and hands her a mug of cider. "We can head over to the Evershaddy later and open up the good stuff!"

Amanda listens carefully to everything Hilmar is saying. "Taxes? No, nothing like that here. But we do raise money from time to time. Maybe somebody's house burns down everyone chips what they can afford to help out. But that's just part of being part of a community."

"As for the 'die is cast' I think you have the right of it. Ralavaz isn't going to take being crossed lightly, and if he sees the town gaining strength he might decide to attack while he still has the advantage. You might be able to use that against him. But maybe just 'get him first' is the simpler plan. The simpler the better usually."

It's clear Amanda is more worldly and knowledgeable than your average innkeeper.

"No wild tale, I'm ashamed to say. That's what happened. Back then, there was a different sheriff. Smooth talker, convinced everyone he was the Hope's salvation, but in the end he turned out to be no better than the bandits. When he burned the Night Blades alive, we recalled his badge but he didn't go peacefully. It was Ruth Willowmane that drove him out of town. That's one tough lady, I'll tell you."

"But, now that Ralavaz is out of prison, we're reaping what we sowed. A kind of reckoning with the past I guess you could say."

"Are you kidding? Before the Arkadia fell, the baths would would hold fifty at a time and there'd be a line up to get in next! Head on down when you're ready, it's just down those stairs over yonder. Take a light with you, it's pretty dark down there. This whole building is built on top of a natural cave system with heated mineral pools, you see. The builders of this place constructed nice housings around the big ones so you can sit comfortably on the edge or dive right in."

"Watch out, there is one pool that is completely drained at the moment. Weirdest thing, I never seen that happen before. The whole pool just emptied out one day, probably blocked up underneath. Too bad, it was the nicest of the pools! I might have to pay somebody to go down in there and unplug it!"

THE HOT SPRINGS

---

Those you who venture down the old wooden stairs find themselves in a place of natural beauty. The air smells strongly of sulfur and clay, and the steam fills your lungs. It's been a while since you've had the amenities of civilization!

Sure enough, on of the pools is roped off with an 'out of order sign' and is bone dry. It is fascinating to see the geothermal vent from which the water comes at the bottom, as round as any every made by an Arkasian engineer.

Amanda tells Naeris that she's welcome to take a look around. When she investigates the drained pool, Naeris peers into the shaft at the bottom of the basin, and sees deep horizontal groves cut into the stone shaft that would function like a ladder. Looking into the tunnel, her keen elven eyes see that the shaft goes down about 30 feet and end in some kind of a room. What little light pentrates to the base is glinting off of something metal, barely visible even to Naeris's incredible night vision.

Amanda is happy to chat with anyone who comes by her door, as you might expect from an innkeeper with no guests.

To Naeris she explains that nobody lives in the keep anymore. The sons and daughters of the noble family that once lived there (the Whitesparrow family) died in the many wars at the end of the Arkasian Empire, and the Lord and Lady left for the safety of a surviving city state. They technically still own the castle but haven't been heard from in fifteen or so years. Amanda also informs you that Sheriff Willowmane has the keys the front gate but doesn't go there except in dire emergencies, where the keep is used for protection.

To Hilmar, Amanda explains that it's been a slow, steady slide. Various threats have whittled away the strength of Hope over the years - organized bandits in search of loot, slave traders looking for bodies to trade in the city states, and most deadly of all, the Shanka sometimes come down from the hills hellbent on destruction. This has especially been punishing on Hope's young men and women, the most able-bodied defenders. With Deepfathom Well closed up and the Dwarven mines abandoned, not a lot of people come up this way anymore - just the occasional soul looking to escape the tyranny of the city-states and who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and fight for a good life.

Apparently there is renewed interest from the south in investing in Deepfathom Well, but Amanda is worried that this will bring more trouble than it's worth.

To everyone who enters the hot springs - the water is truly amazing! There might be medicinal properties to the water, because you find your blisters and aching muscles from the long journey healed in the heat. The steam clears your mind and makes you feel young again. Those prone to daydreaming might experience pleasant nostalgic thoughts filtering through your mind.

"Ah yes, The Hand. Did you notice it has six fingers? It's been around here longer than the town, probably long before the Empire. Nobody that I've ever met knows its past. But, we're grateful to it. The Shanka are afraid of it, we think, and that's why they rarely attack. It' become a bit of a good luck symbol for us."

"I'm not sure who tried to excavate it, that was before my time here. Rumour has it the poor chaps who tried to dig it out got down to the elbow, but then their heads got all full of nightmares and they skedaddled out of town. What a bunch of idiots, getting spooked by a statue."

"Hey, you'll find this fun - there's an old wives' tale that tells about a boy a hundred years ago who found a door in the wrist. Inside, He followed a staircase that led down below the surface and reached a chamber that contained a portal to another world. Can you imagine? People used to draw the stairs on the town maps and charge tourists a few silvers for it, you know, back when we actually had tourists. Gods, that is so long ago now!"

"Anyway, the only thing you really need to know about The Hand is that the Evershady Tavern is built right below it. Owned by yours truly! Got to be the best collection of wine anywhere in the north."

When Hilmar goes to sketch The Hand, he does indeed see that some of the excavation pits go quite far down, maybe even a hundred feet by your best reckoning. Rope ladders and such still remain, probably needed to fish out the occasional drunk from the Evershady who doesn't mind their step and ends up in the hole.

Kaa's and Naeris's wanderings are pleasant and uneventful. You cross paths with a few townsfolk, and they already know who you are.

Naeris runs into Rose's mother, Daisy, who is nothing but grateful that you brought her back home. She says she's never met an elf before and she's not sure what kind of food you like, but she's got a basket of raspberry muffins for you and your teammates.

Kaa is approached by a group of small children playing with a ball (really, it's a stuffed cow's stomach). They're a little nervous approaching you at first, but can't resist their curiosity to met such a different looking person. They chatter about how cool your axe and they ask you if you're going to chop off Ralavaz's head with it.

Hilmar (and anyone who wants to join) eventually find their way at the farmhouse. It is solidly-built two-story farmhouse, brightly colored. Seems like there's room enough to house five comfortably, with common areas, and even internal plumbing! A small cat comes up to you purrs as you look at the place. You suspect it might be his home too.

Nothing registers as magical in the vicinity of the hand.
The cat turns out to be ... a boi!

The kids go wild trying to lift the axe! They end up ganging up and three of them together manage to heave it off the ground. They topple over and squeal with laughter.
The kids love your act, and hang off every word of the story. At some point one of the older boys tells you that he followed a Night Blade back to their hideout on a dare. They're up in Lonely Tower, due northeast of the town, he swears by it. He hasn't told anyone yet because he didn't want to get into trouble for doing such a dangerous thing, but he figures if you kill them with your axe he won't be in so much trouble! He also says mentions that he saw the guy pour a yellow liquid on his feet before he entered a big patch of strangleroot, which grows all around the tower. "Strangleroot is bad news, sometimes the horses wander off and get caught something awful in a patch. But the Night Blade walked right through it like it was a patch of daisies! I wonder if it was magic?!"

They also tell you they like to play football and invite you to play in their game sometime soon. "You can be on my team!" says absolutely everyone.

There is a river - folks around here call it "Firefly Stream" - that runs north to south, just on the eastern border of the town. There is a bridge across on a road that runs east from the town and leads up to Deepfathom well. It's not a heavily forested area but there is no doubt many small copses of trees especially near the river

Hilmar searches quite carefully but sees no sign of a door or groove, and the stone feels solid at every point. It's possible that the old stories were just that - wild stories. Or, maybe you're missing something.
The black cat comes right up to you, unafraid and downright friendly. He rubs against your leg and sniffs your boots and eventually flops down in front of you and rolls around on the grass.
The farmhouse is just on the edge of town, but that's only 10 minute walk from the Inn if you're taking your time.