Against the Cult: Entering Orlane (1.7)

As the morning continues, the smell of baked goods fades and the party notices occasional people walking north along the road past the abandoned farm, farmers heading out to larger fields in that direction (off the map). With no fire and only peering out the slightly-ajar barn doors, the party does nothing to draw attention to itself and no one takes a second glance at the old, empty building. Looking south along the road, you see the Inn (which Myrtha relates bears a sign depicting a sleeping red dragon), a copse of trees, and the shimmer of the Realstream River. In that direction, the only way across the River is by the stone bridge that you all crossed in the night (some of you conscious). The Golden Grain Inn is south along the road, past the bridge over the Realstream. Directly south of the abandoned farm is a small extension of the Dim Forest, though you know that a couple of footpaths lead into the woods off of the road. To the east, the hill bearing the Temple rises on the other side of the lake. There are also many buildings in town you have not investigated, as you can see on the Orlane map.

There isn't a good way to sneak across the bridge in broad daylight. Reptile and Theran saunter across the bridge, affecting nonchalance, and then Reptile ducks into the abandoned barn before the people working in the adjacent farm (where the children were yesterday) see them...hopefully.

After those two Dungeon Busters have left to scout the Golden Grain Inn, Aanbo, Chase, Joseph, and Myrtha consider whether to split up to check out the temple on the hill and the paths through the woods, or whether to do those one at a time. "I'm fine either way," Joseph assures the others. "I'm pretty good at sneaking, if you want me to scout ahead, but I do appreciate backup."

Having transformed into an arachnid, Theran crawls along to the building, then up the wall (to avoid getting stepped on by any passersby), around the corner and around the doorjamb to slip in the gap between door and frame. He crawls around on the ceiling and support beams, slowly gathering in a sense of what is in the room with his limited spider vision observing what's in the room. His many eyes are drawn hungrily to any movement, so he quickly identifies that there are eight people in the common room, none of them Bertram. One man is tending bar, the other seven are sitting and staring morosely into their mugs, apparently deep into their cups despite the early hour. The inanimate objects in the room are instinctively far less interesting, and Theran has to focus very hard to not just let all the details fade into the background. There is no sign of any injured or dead bodies, and new rushes have been scattered on the floor, concealing the presence or absence of any stains. There is no sign of any of the party's equipment in this room; it must have been moved or concealed in the many hours since Aanbo carried the druid out insensate. From his perch above the fireplace mantel, Theran half-sees, half-remembers sees that there are two doors leading off of this room, as well as the stairs leading upwards.



Outside in the barn, Reptile sees no suspicious activity around the Inn, and no one comes in or out. He hears the voice of one of the farm children across the road giggling, apparently playing some game in their yard.

Meanwhile, back at the abandoned farm...

Large swaths of the Dim Forest have been cleared to make room for crop fields. But a finger of the Forest curls around the western edge of the village. This grove - the grove that the four Dungeon Busters are entering - is the very tip of this arm of the Forest. The massive elm trees grow right up to the road, and no further. Joseph keeps trying to lead the way, but Myrtha and Chase keep passing him with their longer legs. It is cool and green under the boughs of the giant trees, with pools of deep shadow. The well-maintained path meanders around the trunks of the trees, leading ever deeper into the grove. Then the trees open up to reveal a small glade, which contains a humble shack, a small shade garden, and an old man facing away from the heroes, currently kneeling down to pull weeds. "Welcome, visitors!" he says, without turning his head. He wears simple clothing made of faded rough cloth, with some kind of fur ruff around his neck.