Prologue: Troubles at Red Larch.

After dinner at the inn, everyone regroups at the Helm with order of ale, juice, or mead in front of you. Vardo and Yohna updates everyone about their investigation. Breezy and Keavan mentions the odd fortune teller they met at the market. Shortly after the exchange, the party sees the quarry worker Vardo and Yohna mentioned walk into the tavern. He sees Yohna and approaches the party. He looks around a bit furtively. After he' satisfied that there's no one he recognizes from the quarry he sits down with the party.

"So what would you like to ask me?"

Vardo's calm demeanor seems to have eased the man.

"Your suspicions are well-placed. Few of my fellow quarrymen have had experiences that are not easily explained. I've tried to tell myself that it's just an overactive imagination on their part, but I'm starting to question things myself. Like, the way Al has been acting, small things - like making decisions that don't make much business sense. And I assure you it's not because of an innate deficiency in the mind. She's always been shrewd. At least used to be..."

"You may have heard rumors of sightings of stone-faced men near the quarry. Such sightings have become common enough that good number of the nightshift workers have quit. Including my pal Marty. The odd thing though - as if apparitions of stone faced men aren't odd enough - Al hasn't tried to replace the workers she lost. I'm not talking about having difficulty finding men willing to work the nightshift - even with the rumors there's no shortage of willing young men, it's good money especially the nightshift. It's that she hasn't tried at all. Not any serious attempts to recruit anyways. And that nightshift work is important to keep pace with the competition. You no doubt noticed we have another quarry to the south. An older operation run by Elak Dornen, something of a bigwig around here. I tell ya, we used to give them the run for their money. But, something's changed. I dunno, maybe she wants to retire and sell the business or something but she's not acting like someone running a successful business. She's even been turning down potential clients. Especially, those that show even passive curiosity about the rumors. And she's been keeping odd company of late - not the least of which, Dornen himself. But, people like Ilmeth Waelvur and Luruth the tanner. She's been passing it off as purely business related. But, I'm not sure. I mean Dornen sure. But what business would she have with Waelvur? He's a drunk that can barely keep his wagon business afloat - esp. when Thelorn's the competition. I'm just a simple man, but even I can tell there's more to it than that. It's like there's a secret club or something."

"I'm sorry to say blue one, that you'll have quite a difficult time convincing her. At least she hasn't hired anyone new in quite some time now. Since this whole odd affair started really."

As the party mull over their next move, tavern doors suddenly swing open with a loud bang. A young farm boy with a horrified look on his face collapses in front of the door way. Only words he can muster is "Harlo... They... Those... things... took him."

The barkeep brings the boy some mulberry juice. The boy seems to respond to Yohna's nurturing hands.

"I... I was having dinner over at Belkin's place. I sometime help Harlo with his chores around the farm. See, Harlo had bought this charm necklace at the marketplace today to give to the Missus. While we were at dinner, the charm began to flash brightly - soon after, there was a knock at the door. Harlo's quick thinking saved our lives. He had us - me, Mrs. Belkin, and Andrea - hide underneath the bed. I couldn't see their faces but I saw three figures barging into the house. Two wore robes that went all the way down to the floor. Harlo yelled at them, You? What are you doing here? The third figure responded, Your flesh has been chosen by the all-knowing Eye - to serve me, the Lord of Lance Rock! Come my child. There was a finger snap and I can see one of the robed figures approach Harlo. Then... Harlo just drops. We could see from underneath the bed, his wide eyes... the terror in those eyes... He was struggling to move, but he couldn't. The other figure then just grabbed him over its shoulder, like Harlo was a ragdoll. Then I glimpsed it. The milky white eyes... It could not have belonged to a human. It was all we could do to not scream our lungs out. After they left, I told the Mrs. and Andrea to stay hidden and I ran as fast as I can here. Please you have to help Harlo! I don't know what those things are going to do to him! Someone please, help us!" The boy starts to weep.