Chapter 1: Harvest Moon

@ Isuna: Raef chuckles a bit Compared to him, you're one of us! That Arius, some kind of researcher. He's been here since shortly after the last harvest, so a few months. Came with barrels of something for the fields, and a few days later, had all the farmers spreading it around while he watched. Always with a book, making scribbles, and hiding it from anyone who looked. He wears his hood up too, looks like a ghost under that thing. If you ask me, he's just plain creepy, but he's done good for us, I suppose... I wouldn't mind him staying, but he could work on the people skills. The cart reaches the warehouse, and he looks up at the sky again. Hey, you should get to the town square! I'll finish up here, but they might have even already started! Don't want to be late now.

@ Carlin, Chuton: You make your way back to the area you were harvesting tomatoes in earlier, and find the area spattered with blood, fairly fresh. Some baskets with spilled and trampled tomatoes lie scattered around as well, obvious signs of a struggle. @ Deturai: Leitha explains Oh, they were arguing about spices earlier! Those two never fight like that! ...I hope they didn't get into it again... She turns and runs off after her friend. When you ask the children for help, most of them eagerly jump to, the rest being nudged by siblings and friends. A few, born leaders, organize the children further into groups to help with cutlery as well. People with their dishes take this as a sign, and begin lining up to be served. You can hear conversation, musings about the cooking skills of a stranger, with affirmations from people who saw your cart yesterday. One calls out So? How'd it turn out? and the conversation becomes more heated with questions, and statements of hunger.

@ Chuton, Carlin: As you walk a short way into the woods, you hear the sounds of a stream, and then see the bloody, bitten bodies of two townspeople. You recognize them as some of the ones who came with Raef. The bodies have been left halfway in the stream, which colors tendrils of water going downstream with the blood. A chattering sound above your heads distract you from the grisly scene, and you see the eyes of many raccoons staring at you, an albino one front and center.

@ Deturai: We were waiting for Mellia to get back with some of her special spices... but if we're not getting them, we'll just improvise. One of them hands you a bowl with mixed seasonings to judge for yourself before adding. You recognize salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. It would be passable. As you look around, you can see that none of the three have come back, when the inn was no more than a few minutes away. The women step aside for the children, who seem especially eager. They waste no time in also loading their plates with sides, before forming into groups at the tables.

@ Carlin, Chuton: Run or Roll initiative as the albino raccoon screams in an unnatural voice, pointing at you. The other raccoons follow suit, and jump down to form three groups, each made of several adolescents headed by a much larger adult, including the albino.

@ Isuna: Raef struggles to speak much as he works with the heavy crates I'd ask the elders... but it seems. good to me. It would make sense for those elders to know where Arius is, if he isn't with them already. The town hall seems like a likely location.

@ Deturai: It's a kind of vegetable stew. From experience, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, basil and thyme would all be welcome additions. But it's hard to know what is already in the stew by looking.

@ Deturai: You disregard the seasonings given to you, and explain to the helpers that you've got your own special mix waiting for you back at your cart. As one of them takes over stirring for you they call out Just a little while longer! It's almost done! The children especially seem anxious, but everyone sits back down. You make your way through a quiet street back to the inn and your cart. On retrieving your spices, you realize the inn's door is swinging and open, and can hear faint sounds inside, too faint to actually make out what they are though.

I'll holler in there Hey are you guys ok in there?. He'll grab his spices and take a peek inside on his way back to the soup bowl.