Chapter 2.2: First Encounters in the Dim

Chase disappears into the forest to the north of the Road, even though he's starting by heading west in the same direction as the rest of the party (west to get to the previous campsite where Jonel and the others were attacked by undead).

In about three hours, he sees the place where some upthrust granite forms a wooded cliff overlooking a shadowy clearing, just as Manthis had described. At first glance, the ranger is alarmed to see slain adventurers, but then he recalls that the new Dungeon Busters had said that they were attacked by animated corpses dressed in armor and carrying weapons. He looks over the site before approaching: there are six bodies scattered around the campsite, two close to a fire ring, the other four not really in the clearing but near it.

Chase is a little puzzled: there is no collection of equipment in the clearing, though he remembers now that is how it was described to him. He waits for some time, a patient hunter who knows well that waiting in silent stillness will often result in prey revealing itself. But after several minutes, there is no movement or any cause for alarm, and his jangling nerves begin to relax a little.

Looking around a bit further, Chase observes (from a distance) that most of the corpses are clad in the remains of the armor they wore in life: rusted chain, scraps of leather, a couple plates of armor whose straps still remain intact. All but one of them also has one or more of some kind of weapon near them: three short bows, three quivers of arrows, two short swords, a club, and a staff. The last corpse has no weapon near it.

Heading west on Cecily's Road for four hours, the rest of the Dungeon Busters arrive at the place where the familiar path to the Jarls' homestead leads north into the Dim Forest. Soon enough, the younger Jarl children, Wenderly and Torren, come down the path to greet their dear friends from the Dungeon Busters (Torren runs, but Wenderly's little chubby legs are unable to keep up. Running hard, he trips, falls into the dust, springs up, and runs again. "You're back! You're back!" they cry with gladness. "Glorious Masters, tell us of your adventures!" Then their enthusiasm dims a little when they see Bradley, a stranger to them, but Torren knows what they are supposed to do. "Greetings, Most-Favored Lord, and well met. Please a-a-a-comp'ny us to the house for a warmer welcome. All who come in peace..."
"Peace! Peace!" Wenderly shouts, and Torren loses the thread of his little memorized speech.
"Uh..please, won't you rest a while and visit with us?" They then lead the adventurers back to the farmhouse. Emiless and Elista are tending the garden, and you see Devek in the distance leading livestock from one pasture-clearing to another. Elista rises with a smile. "How delightful to see the Highest Heroes Clothed in Glory all again so soon! It looks as if you have found the rest of your group." Her keen eyes notice the change to the group, and she addresses Bradley. "Is that Bradley? Bradley, have you given up on barrels and taken up a sword to go seeking treasure and glory?" She gives off teasing the cooper and begins to lead them into the house, but then she notes that her kids are being idle: Emiless, Torren, and Wenderly are just standing there, mouths slightly agape. "Well, get back to work, you three. You can visit with the Mightiest Champions when you've finished your daily chores."

"Thank you for the consideration, Glorious Lady" Elista says to Myrtha, seeing the travois bearing a body (Reptile's) under the cloak, and dipping into a deep curtsy. After a respectful pause, she straightens and gestures to little Wenderly. "Son, I have a job for you. Would you show Peerless Lady Myrtha the way to the boneyard? She has some things of inestimable value that she's going to entrust to us to keep up there tonight."

Wenderly looks up at the towering warrior woman. He's young enough to not have developed the sense of the huge class difference between them. "You wanna see where Boily is buried? Boily was a good dog." Then he notices that Manthis is also dragging a sledge. "What 'bout your stuff? You wanta leave that there, too?" Figuring that declining might lead to more questions, Manthis sighs and drags their loot travois up with them. Wenderly leads the way, telling stories about their old dog, Boily, and thankfully not registering that the load on Myrtha's travois is actually Reptile, the little boy's friend who'd visited the house just a few days before.

Theran accompanies Emiless back to the garden while Torren heads off to the chicken coop. Emiless talks a lot about the work she's doing, but she alternates those with questions for Theran about what it's like to be an elf. "How old are you, Mighty Lord? I hear that magnificent elves like your own person live a long time. My dad is so old; he's forty!"

Back inside the house, free from the chatter of the children, Elista clears the table so that the remaining adventurers (and Bradley) can sit down. "Welcome to you, good and noble paragon," She gives a little curtsy to Jonel, the only person in the group she hasn't met previously. To Aanbo she replies: "Elegant Master, my good husband Abel's out in the fields; I'd send one of the children to fetch him, but I just sent them off..."
Just then, the group hears someone approaching, talking excitedly before they even reach the door. "Mama! I saw Manthis and Myrtha with Wen! Ooh!" The door bursts open and 12-year-old Abella runs in, still talking, "Maybe Quest is here...oh!" She comes up short, seeing the group seated at the table. She scans their faces eagerly, hoping to see one in particular. But then her eyes widen as they catch sight of Jonel, and she sighs. "Ohhh..." Elista scolds her. "Abella, how many times have I told you to knock before entering? That's very rude to these Elevated Potentates who have graced us with their presence." Elista sighs. "Well, girl, it's good you're here. I want you to run and get your father. Our Radiantly Illuminated guests have something important to tell him." Abella gives a little moue, stealing a glance at Jonel, and Elista frowns. "NOW, Abella." Abella sighs, gives a curtsy so deep that her hair brushes the floor, and then rushes out.

A few minutes pass as Elista provides some drinks to the thirsty travelers. Then Myrtha, Manthis, and Abel Jarl all arrive at the house at about the same time (Abella stayed away, mortified). Theran, seeing Wenderly heading for the door, gestures over to him, too. "I heard you say something about a dog? Is that right?" Wenderly immediately starts telling the druid about Boily as they head back to the garden.

"Welcome, Most Magnificent Heroes," Abel says, "Welcome, Bradley," and then, to Jonel, he says "Welcome, Noblest of Knights. We have not met before; I am blessed to host a Fine and Elegant Gentleman such as yourself in my humble abode which is surely not worthy of any of you. If it please your Grace, I am called Abel Jarl."
Abel looks at Elista and is reassured by her smile that there isn't an immediate emergency. "Abella told me that you Courageous Champions have something you wanted to impart to us?"

Chase sees that the dead adventurers bear no tattoos or adornments that resemble the ones of their antagonists in Orlane. These adventurers seem to have been dead for some time. In searching the vicinity, Chase discovers the remains of Jonel's mule, as well as fresh footprints around the campsite. Some of those are a couple of days old; he's already examined the footprints of the new Dungeon Busters, and so he recognizes the tracks of Arya, Rosemary, Manthis, and even Jonel. But the more recent tracks seem to suggest that the dead adventurers themselves were walking around as recently as a few hours ago.

Chase follows these tracks, but they don't lead anywhere; the tracks seems to wander aimlessly around the campsite, and certainly do not connect with any of the bandits' tracks. He considers whether he's going to retrieve the dead adventurer's equipment first, or head east to look for bandit tracks first and come back for the equipment when he heads back to Hochoch later.