Chapter Three: On the Road

Hector looks over Bughu once more and nods approvingly, "You look like a strong enough fellow, and we can always use more guards. Got a supply caravan leaving in two days' time. Meet at the north gate before dawn in two days if you want the work. You'll be paid 20 gold pieces each for the trip, which will take a tenday if road conditions are good. You'll be headed to the Carnath Roadhouse," he explains and then waits to see if Bughu accepts the offer.

The following morning, you meet up with the caravan at the north gate and find that the cultists are indeed among them, though they seem to be ignoring you for the most part.

The caravan consists of six wagons, drivers, teamsters, and some dozen guards (including yourselves), plus the leader, Ardred Briferhew, a man in his early thirties with thick black hair and a thick beard. He proves to be a good leader for the caravan and things go smoothly for the first part of the journey.

On the seventh day out, you crest a hill and come into sight of the fabled Mere of Dead Men, a chill tangle of trees, brush, boggy ground, standing water, and cat-tails that stretches to the west as far as the eye can see. Though it looks like it's just a large swamp, it gives you goosebumps to be so close. Rumors of horrible monsters, ghosts, and demons flit about the camp as you sit about the campfire that night.

The next few days are tense as you travel along the road, always within site of the Mere. Three tense days later, you arrive at the Carnath Roadhouse. Ahead of you looms a walled outpost, outside of which you can see a number of wagons already there. As you draw nearer, you can hear voices from inside the compound.

You are stopped just short of the compound and a bored-looking man steps out, "Ardred, you know the drill," the man says to the leader of the caravan.

Ardred nods and begins directing the wagons to enter two at a time.

You are in for quite the wait... Is there anything you'd like to do?

The drivers leans back in his seat to rest a bit, "Well, we wait here for our turn to get unloaded," he says, "Then they'll take you in, unload your wagon in the warehouse. Once all the wagons are done and all the goods are counted up, we get to relax and eat some real food."

After several hours of tedious waiting, you are eventually led into the roadhouse. The open courtyard is full of people; some carrying supplies, others moving about with lists in their hands. From the entrance, there are a number of small cabins that line the inner wall on the south and east. To the north are a stable as well as the storage room. Two staircases lead up, one to an additional set of cabins atop the south and east walls and another into a room atop the store room.

You are tasked with helping to unload the goods, which takes quite some time. The goods, such as food, are taken into the store room, while the rest is taken to various storage area on the walls. While in the store room, you see a locked door on the north wall that no one seems to bother with while you are around.

By the time everything is unloaded, you are exhausted, sweaty, and ready to rest. You are led to a cabin on the south wall to share amongst your group and then left to your own devices.

"If you want some food, head up them stairs above the storeroom and you'll find the kitchens. They should still have something left for you," Ardred says as he leaves you to your business at the door of your cabin.

Bughu makes his way to the kitchens to get some food for himself and his companions. He climbs the stairs, which creak loudly with every step but don't seem to be in danger of collapsing, and enters the dining area to find that aside from one other man in a chef's hat and greasy apron, he's alone in the room.

The man doesn't appear to have noticed Bughu at first as he wanders about, taking care of various foodstuffs about the kitchen and muttering to himself, " ...don’t get no sleep from all the critters in the floors banging and knocking and hissing and whispering at all hours..."