Against the Cult: Disappearances (1.6)

The party rests the night, with the accommodations being similar to what they were before: the Jarls clear chairs and other small furniture out of the kitchen/dining room and lay out straw tick mattresses for their guests. Since there are now just six guests, they manage to squeeze everyone into the same room.

The next morning, the younger children enter the kitchen, laughing, with the berries that they've picked from the forest, which add a sweet zing to the mealy hot porridge that the Elista, Abella, and Emiless serve with chunks of meat and cheese. Abel, meanwhile, has brought out a large clay jug. "We're celebrating your Exalted Magnificences, and the return of our son!" There are many toasts, in which even the boy Torren demonstrates the rustic Keolish tradition of referring to normal adults by hyperbolic titles, though the mead hasn't fermented long enough to have much of a kick. Then, as soon as the bowls and mugs have been scrubbed, they accompany the party out to the barn, lead the ox out and put it in the traces of the wagon. "Which Illustrious Adept will guide the wagon?" Abel asks.

Myrtha climbs up onto the buckboard, and Reptile sits beside her. Elista and Wenderly start in the bed of the wagon as Myrtha prods the ox into motion onto Cecily's Road back west toward Hochoch. The others walk alongside, chatting amiably. Xana gives helpful advice from time to time. After a while, Abel lifts Torren up to sit on the ox's back for a while. Then Emiless has a turn.

Despite all this, the early start and the steady pace has the party making good time, and it is only a bit after sunset that the party arrives back at the bridge crossing the Realstream into the town. By that time, Wenderly and Torren are asleep, Emiless is barely able to keep her eyes open, and Abella is chattering incessantly, eager to see her brother again but also thrilled to be in Hochoch and maybe able to see other people her age. Her excitement is such that she's forgotten to be shy around Theran, which is secretly a relief to the druid as well as her parents (though Theran expects some gentle ribbing from the rest of the Dungeon Busters). The trip to Hochoch is clearly an adventure for the whole Jarl family.

Abel, who has been to town to barter produce and homemade goods before, thanks the party and guides his family to the Temple of Rao, carrying Torren and Emiless in his arms. Elista carries little Wenderly, and Abella gives everyone who will tolerate it an impulsive hug and a wave goodbye, then hurries after her parents.The party has returned to Hochoch with Rufus' wagon, his ox, and the Jarl family. Where do you want to go now?

Due to the late hour, the party swings by the Inn of Eternal Rest, where they find Olpert entertaining a small crowd of residents with a tale of pasts exploits. Lienne hangs on Olpert's one arm, while Tap refills the stein Olpert has clutched in the other. "...and then when we entered the room, there was another Sir Valiset, just sitting there eating his supper!" Everyone laughs. Olpert sees the heroes and rises from the group, ignoring Lienne's moue. "There they are! You see, Rufus - I told you they'd be back tonight with your wagon!" Olpert leans toward Theran and says, under his breath: "...you did return with the wagon, right?..." Then he sees the ox and wagon himself and spins around with a big smile on his face, addressing Rufus again: "It's back and returned with our compliments! You did us a good service, and by helping Dungeon Busters, you helped Dungeon Busters keep Hochoch safe!" Rufus goes over and reclaims the wagon, exchanging details of how the vehicle has been handling and its condition from Myrtha.

Each PC gains 25 XP for actually returning the wagon.

Does everyone want to rest for the night and continue with questioning various captives tomorrow, or is there something else you want to do first?

Tap smiles and nods. "Yeah, Zahm stopped in to all the taverns to tell people that he was available for work! Very friendly man!"
Lienne, demonstrating her unnatural gift for gossip, speaks up: "Oh! Are you talking about that handsome new smith from Orlane?" Olpert looks sour at this. Lienne continues: "He says there wasn't enough work in Orlane, but I bet it had something to do with the problems they've had with the water over there. That, or he was fleeing romantic troubles. Big strapping man like that, you can see how he might get some girls in a family way." She pulls up a chair and plops down between Aanbo and Tap. "But what have you heard?" She looks deeply into Aanbo's eyes, and the intensity of that beautiful blue gaze gives the monk a momentary sense that he's the most interesting thing in the world. Olpert clears his throat, and Aanbo comes back to himself, freed from the charisma of this young human woman. "If you have any news about the new arrival, or if you think he could be a candidate for our organization, seek me out and tell me later...in private." He looks meaningfully at Lienne, who is surely memorizing every gesture and utterance to share with anyone who will listen.

Tap hurries to provide Aanbo some spring water, and everyone exchanges small talk until the locals all excuse themselves and leave for other tables. Lienne is the last to go, which she finally does with a disgusted sigh. "You'd think adventurers would be more interesting..." she mutters as she goes. She's immediately welcomed at another table with cheers and applause.

"It's late," Olpert addresses the party, "and I want to make sure that you get your rest. But I want to let you know that there's been no change in our priorities in the days since you've been gone. We need to find out what's happening in Orlane, and I'd like to find some assurances that Bandit Black won't be a problem again." After paying for a final round of drinks, Olpert bids you all good night and heads off to lock up his cart, taking the papers in a lockbox with him into the Inn. The rest of you eventually retire to your rooms as well, and sleep the sleep of the just all through the night.

The next morning dawns and you are each greeted enthusiastically by the inn's proprietors, Mr. and Mrs. Thornhill.

What do you want to do first? You can try to gather more information here in Hochoch, or head out toward Orlane to see if Bandit Black appears on the way and see firsthand which of the accounts of what is happening in Orlane is true.

Olpert claps his hand on the shoulder of a dwarf who is just finishing a stein. "Aye, I'll show ye where those blackguards are," Morgran sets the vessel down gently, with the exaggerated, careful precision of someone who is already drunk but trying not to show it. Morgran, a fellow Dungeon Buster, has spent the weeks since he helped save the miller's family in the quest to find a more permanent location for the franchise. His appearance here may indicate that the search is finally over. He gets to his feet slowly and gracefully, wavering only a little, and beams a smile at all of you. "The Brenin's man in Hochoch is called a Reeve; Ansola Behir be his name. It took some doing, finding 'im, at first. T'was Cormac who eventually tracked 'im down. But the County Reeve is the official in charge of capturin' and detainin' crim'nals. He's got a house over by North Gate where he keeps 'em all while he decides what to do with 'em." By now, Morgran has led the party down the street and through the center of town; at this point they're crossing the town green (where the market is held each Starday). "They've got a strange system here; justice on a ship were very different. I'm still getting used to it. By rights, the Reeve can pass judgment on crim'nals, but the way I hear it, Reeve Behir holds a hearin' each month so's people can air they grievances and he can consider all sides. But he's not just in charge of Hochoch; his jurisdiction covers the whole county, so he be often away, checkin' in on farms, hamlets, and villages. He's got an assistant, Louis Marks, takin' care of the prisoners now."

The party arrives at a squat, sturdily built log cabin with bars sunk into the windows. Morgran ushers you inside; the front room is an office with two tables serving as desks. A door in the back leads to the locked rooms that function as cells. The short, sallow-faced and slightly rotund man seated at one of the desks rises to his feet with a smile and a twirl of his magnificent, oiled mustache. Morgran beams: "Louis, you old dog! I was just tellin' these other Dungeon Busters about you!" Louis folds into a graceful, sweeping bow despite his oversize paunch. "Any friend of Morgran's is a friend of mine! What can I do for you all today?"