Chapter 2.2: First Encounters in the Dim

Cecily's Road connects the town of Hochoch (to the west) and the city of Hookhill (to the east). In between them is the Dim Forest; the village of Orlane is about halfway between them. The Jarls live about halfway between Hochoch and Orlane. Hochoch is furthest west. Heading east from Hochoch, you first arrive at the Jarls' house. Continuing east, you next arrive at Orlane. If you continue east from there, you would emerge from the Dim Forest and eventually arrive at Hookhill.

I would have sworn that someone posted a link to a map and we talked about how accurate it was months ago, but I couldn't find it in a cursory search. I'd intended to make one of my own, but your question made me realize that I'd never actually done it. Now I have, and here it is:


I've also added the map to the Maps thread for easier reference in the future.

While they are talking, Elista prepares and serves biscuits to keep herself busy. Rosemary immediately recognizes them as a variation on the recipe she left with the family. Elista's husband, Abel, mulls over what the heroes have told him.

"You think they'd try again, Wondrous Lords and Ladies?" Abel asks the group. "Why? It's just too much. First Devek nearly dies, then that bastard (pardon my language, nobles) tries to steal my whole family. Now you say they may come again? I want to protect my family, but what are we supposed to do? I have to get the crops in the ground now. If I don't, we won't have food to eat in the fall. Why is this happening again? What are they trying to do with people in Orlane?" Embarrassed at his outburst, Abel tugs his forelock and looks down, mumbling "Chastise me if I have offended any of you Illustrious Ones; I am grateful that you deigned to warn us lowly peasants of the danger."

Chase decides to leave the equipment where it is, and retraces his path back east to the place where the bandits attacked the party.

At about the time that the rest of the party is arriving at the Jarls' house, Chase finishes his initial examination of the cliff-side campsite with all the dead adventurers. Satisfied that there is no obvious connection between the dead bodies and the bandits of the spiral, Chase heads back east for four hours to return to the site of the battle with the ambushing bandits. It is early afternoon when Chase finds the tracks he was following last night and resumes tracing them back to determine their origin. Engaged in this activity for a few (4) more hours, he determines three things:

1) The group of bandits came west, and there's been no sign that they crossed the Realstream River. This indicates that they almost certainly came from Orlane. They also were clearly looking for the Dungeon Busters.
2) During his exploration, Chase found the dead woman who confronted him last night lying half in, half out of a bush, unmoving and reeking. There are several other corpses nearby in similar states of decay; Chase figures these may have been the ones making the other noises he heard the previous night. The dead bodies seem to have been animated before; there are tracks showing how they moved aimlessly, then started following him until he far outpaced them, at which point they began to wander again. At some point, the animating magic ceased, and the cadavers collapsed where they stood.
3) This search took longer than Chase expected; it is suppertime now. While it is not dark yet, it is golden hour, and it will be dark in about an hour. It will be dark before he can get to any of the camp sites the party has used (he can move two hexes at normal speed or two and a half at fast speed).Will Chase:
a) find a new place to make camp nearby?
b) return to the campsite the party used last night (about 3 hours away at normal speed, 2 hours fast)?
c) return to the cliffside campsite with all the dead adventurers (about 6 hours away at normal speed, 4 hours fast)?

Back at the Jarls' house, Bradley interjects "I don't know if I'll feel safe anywhere again, since I was taken from right outside Hochoch!" Bradley sees the looks the Dungeon Busters give him at this not-helpful information, and he subsides, adding weakly. "...but it sure will feel safer being around other people than out here with just my family..."

Abel sighs, shaking his head. "Magnificent worthies, I appreciate your offer of assistance," he nods at Aanbo. In response to Jonel's reservations, Abel responds, "We would never dream of imposing on our betters, much less zeniths of virtue like the celebrated heroes of Dungeon Busters." Elista nods in agreement. "We are merely wondering to ourselves how we will live in a big city like Hochoch." Abel looks at Elista, some unspoken married-couple communication passing between them, and then they both nod. Abel slaps his knees and stands up. "The Paragons have told us that we must leave, so it must be so. Please, Mighty Ones, do not trouble yourselves on our account. Make yourselves comfortable while we get ready to return to the city...again." So saying, he and Elista leave the party in the kitchen/living room of the house with their food and drink, while Abel goes outside to round up the children and Elista begins packing upstairs.

Ah, of course. There were several other corpses near the dead woman in various states of decay; Chase figures these may have been the ones making the other noises he heard the previous night. The dead bodies seem to have been animated before, as there are tracks leading up to their bodies. Backtracking, Chase saw how they had been moving aimlessly, then (probably when he showed up) started following him until he far outpaced them, at which point they began to wander again. At some point, the animating magic ceased, and the cadavers collapsed where they are now.

However, Chase heads back to Cecily's Road without incident, arriving at the road before it gets fully dark. Proceeding west cautiously, the ranger attracts no attention from any nocturnal creatures, despite lighting torches once night falls to see his way. It is almost three hours after nightfall when he finds the campsite he'd prepared the night before. Comfortable in solitude from his years as a boundary warden, Chase nevertheless takes some comfort in being in a familiar place where his friends and companion Dungeon Busters rested so recently. After setting his alarm lines, he quickly goes to sleep content in knowing that his friends are surely back safe in Hochoch by now.