The young monk starts by going to the tavern where many of the loggers relax. While there, he speaks with the loggers about Irori, and the effort required to improve oneself. He spends some money on food and drink, basically purchasing an audience, while he discusses the potential inherent in everyone and how working together a group can help each other be more than they would manage alone.
Towards the end of the night, he strikes a bargain to gain some help in his efforts to build a shrine in exchange for assistance with the logger's normal tasks.
So, for the next couple of days, Shartol goes and helps the loggers, taking quickly to a task they largely dislike: scampering up trees to top them and establish rope lines to help guide other trees. As he does this, he notes that some of the tools the loggers have been using to help with this task are old and not as safe as they used to be, so he purchases some replacement gear in order to keep helping them even after he's done.
At some point, Ruhk will find the others and inform them about the magical items.
"Right, so I've had a look at the items we recovered and got some information for you.
The axe carries a minor enchantment of sharpness, the rod can be used to enhance a person diplomacy in a negotiation, the ring here protects against fire once a day and the arrows have an enchantment that SETS them on fire.
All in all, not bad."
"I still would like to keep the ring, it looks good on me. In fact, if I study it a little more, I might be able to make more like it one day."
On the third day, Ruhk will see if anyone in town needs someone to help with identifying magical effects or items.
Rakarech's days at the village have been uncomfortable with him, but largely fruitful. Stacking up on supplies, he soon starts receiving replies to his sign and begins making house calls to look over people who have common injuries and illnesses. It was once said that a physician's job is to entertain while nature heals the patient. Unfortunately, Rakarech is terrible at entertaining, his bedside manner being best described as weird and smelly.
However, once he is called to look over a sick pig his true calling begins to shine, and after a short while in Falcon's Hollow Rakarech has begun to develop a reputation as a competent vet.
Rakarech pulls off a couple of thin gloves, dropping them in the trash as he makes his way to a table.
"You ever seen a cow give birth? It's like magic. But messy. As for these things you have, very good and useful. I don't want any but someone else may. Good job on identifying."
Sutandir listens to Ruhk's description of the items he has identified. "Hm, that wand could prove useful in the future, although it is probably worth a fair amount of coin. The same for those arrows. What does everyone think?"
As the conversation turns, he brings up the possible trip to investigate the cairns. "I see several of you have been settling in a bit. What do you say to a visit to see what's up? Of course, there's also that dwarven ruin we found the mushrooms in. I imaging there's more there, too."
"I think that any of these items would see is us all in ale for the winter if we sold them."
"But it also reminds me to get myself a bow if we do decide to sell off some of the loot."
"As for where to go...the ruins took some time to get to even when we hurried, and I don't think anyone will go there and take our loot if we wait a while.
Let's check out the cairn first."
Our loot? "The cairn should be a quick diversion. That's all they ever proved when I was a boy. If we're supposed to be the protectors, shouldn't we be trying to figure out what's wrong and address those problems first? Like, where's my grandpa? There's been no sign of him in a couple of weeks. That's not normal."
Our loot? "The cairn should be a quick diversion. That's all they ever proved when I was a boy. If we're supposed to be the protectors, shouldn't we be trying to figure out what's wrong and address those problems first? Like, where's my grandpa? There's been no sign of him in a couple of weeks. That's not normal."
"Isn't it? I don't know him that well, but I didn't take his absence as unusual. I just assumed he was travelling. Do you have reason to think he may be in trouble?"
Shartol grins sheepishly. "Other than he's gone and not even anybody in the family has any idea where to, or even specifically when he left. Unless you're running away, normally you tell SOMEBODY, right?"
"Well, that is news to me. Like I said, I had hoped to meet him but don't actually know him. Do you have any ideas of how we might look for him?"
Ruhk shrugs and grins a little.
"First we save the village, and a sister to one of us, why not a grandfather too?
So I guess point number one is to try and figure out where to look then?"
Ruhk leans back and drains half of his current tankard in one long gulp.
"To be honest, I don't mind spending some more time with you lot, and not outside the town either.
Sooner or later that Kullen pimp bastard will come looking for me, and the longer I'm with you, the longer I have to get ready."
The young man looks confused. "If I had an idea where to start looking, he wouldn't be missing, would he? Not until I didn't find him there, I mean. I'm guessing the best hope to find some clue where he was headed would be to see if he left anything in his notes and such at home. But I'm guessing."
Sutandir nods. "I'm certainly game to look for any indication of where he went. Do you know if he keeps his home locked, or possibly warded? He is a wizard after all."
"Honestly, I don't remember ever having even tried the door. Either he did or it was already open."
"Ruhk, would that spell you use to see what enchantments are on items work to see if there are any magical wards on the door?"
"Possible...I have honestly never tried using it for that purpose. I guess we can try..."
"Let us go try, if your father's-father is missing then we start looking. Go into house and see what we can find. Then if we find him, we go look at cairn."
You travel to Allustan's house, and by the looks of it, it seems that someone is indeed home—a few candles flicker in the window sill, and a fire seems to be burning in the hearth, judging by the smoke pouring from the chimney.
"Ruhk, who is this Kullen fellow you refer to? And why would he come after you?"
***
"Sharotl, I thought you said he was gone without a trace. Is there another family member that might be taking care of his house?"
My question about inns was based on a potential desire to build one. Would the town support another inn? It's either that or set up an infirmary, using Laurel as apothecary support (if she would be interested). Or going in jointly with Sutandir, since he seems interested in expanding his alchemy knowledge to the realm of healing.
"Some big brutish half orc thug that was roughing up some of the women in town when I came across him.
I took exception with his less than stellar manner and said so.
He decked me without preamble and I only managed to get away from him by kicking him in the...ahem...family jewels.
I...MIGHT have broken his nose when he was down, and hit him on the back of the head with a stool just for good measure."
Ruhk scratches the back of his head and smiles a little shyly.
"To be honest, I was lucky, he was alone despite being in a big gang, probably didn't expect any trouble with the women.
And my kick was a shot in the dark, if it had missed he would have had me right there and then."
"If some thug has been accosting women in town, we should put a stop to it. I would gladly stand at your side against such a brute, Ruhk."
Kervos stops and listens to Vaashti as he watches the smoke pour from the chimney. "If it's not Shartol's kin in there, we may be in for an interesting discussion with some interlopers."
"Well, a wizard is likely to have some things worth stealing, but being a but stealing from a wizard is something few would dare to try.
So if those are robbers, they are either desperate or bold....or stupid..."
"Oh, one other thing. Vaashti came to the shop and helped me yesterday, and we have a few things that might be of use."
He takes out three small vials and two small pots. He hands one of each to Shartol and Rakarech, and the extra vial to Ruhk. "The vials are curatives. We have one we found during our travels, and made more. I figured several of us should carry them, in case we find ourselves in trouble and Vaashti can't reach us ... or in case Vaashti is down and one of us needs to help her out. The oils will temporarily enchant any weapon to make it strike true and deadly. From the what I've read, it should work as well on your hands as any other deadly weapon, Shartol."
"I know for a fact there was no one home a couple of days ago when I came to visit. It's possible he's returned, but I would have expected Shartol to know if so. Shall we knock and see who answers?"
Rakarech grunts and stows away the vials. "Thank you."
"Simple and forward. Let's knock."
"Uhhhh . . . .. He WAS gone?" The young man walks up to the door and knocks lightly. "Gramps?"
After a few seconds, the door to the cottage swings open, revealing a wise-looking man with piercing green eyes and long, black but graying hair. His chin is covered with an equally long black beard, and he wears a warm smile.
"Shartol, my boy. It has been too long. What brings you back to this dear town of ours?"
"Dad, Gramps. I, uh, had to bring Dad home. He's on the hill with Mom, now." The young man can't force himself to look his grandfather in the eye.
Allustan begins to speak as if he hadn't heard, but then stops and stares for a moment. He walks toward Shartol, putting his arm around the monk.
"I am sorry, dear boy. I did not know." He pulls Shartol in close for a hug, silent.
Ruhk clears his throat a little and begins to motion the rest of the party back.
"This is a family moment; the rest of us will be over here if you need us."
Shartol returns the hug, squeezing probably a little too tightly, until he finally pulls away. "Rolla and Hollin are both managing to just go on with their lives. Trying to support each other and save a little something. I had no idea what would be next. These people helped change that. They took me along to help them get the ingredients for the plague cure. They were going to help me find out what had happened to you, since nobody knew where you were . . .." He chokes a little at this point before continuing in an completely different tone. "NOT the best time for you to vanish," frustration and fear obviously mixed in his slightly raised voice.
"I am glad to hear it, lad. And glad to hear of the successes of all of you."
He turns back to Shartol after addressing the group.
"I apologize for leaving, but I have been doing some research about the cairns around this area. It seems that there are some discrepancies among the maps I have seen. But no matter, I am glad you and the town are safe."
"The Cairns you say? Funny that, we were thinking of heading there ourselves."
Vaashti's eyes looked up at the man when he mentioned the cairns. She spoke up at that point. "Do you know Paten C'Tan? He was my father, and Laurel said he disappeared while investigating the cairns..." She trailed off expectantly.
Rakarech remains largely silent at the periphery of the group. His expression is neutral as he watches from the sidelines.
"See? We even have a GOOD reason to go there, along with our BAD reason of just poking our noses in places..."
"C'tan? No, I don't know that name, but I do know that many adventurers explored those cairns. That's part of what interested me—on the old maps I have, there is a particular cairn, the Whispering Cairn, that does not appear on newer maps I have seen. I have gone out to the cairns and found this "Whispering Cairn"—it does exist. I returned, though; I am not as young as I used to be, and did not wish to enter alone."
"That matches what I have been hearing as well ... that the Whispering Cairn disappeared from maps. I am curious about why that would happen - it can't be a coincidence, someone must be trying to hide it. Which means there's something interesting waiting to be found!"
"As it happens, we were considering going out there just on what we had already heard, so your report just makes me all the more interested in checking it out. Before we go, however, I wonder if we might ask you for some assistance." Sutandir indicates himself and Ruhk. "I'm not sure if you recognize me or not, but I work with Laurel at the apothecary, and have been researching how to convert a wizard's spells into potions and extracts; my friend here also knows something of arcane magic. Would it be possible for us to sneak a look at some of your spells, to see if they could be of use to us as we investigate this mystery? We would of course compensate you, as the work you've done to acquire those spells deserves."
"Certainly, lad. And no payment is needed—a friend of my grandson's is a friend of mine."
Rakarech frowns and speaks to nobody in particular.
"How does this cairn disappear from maps? Do people just not see it anymore, or was it taken off the paper?"
"I imagine that someone starting making maps without and distributed them to try to get that to be the accepted version. Anyone not from the area, or who hasn't spent any time there, wouldn't know the difference."
"Are we headed to the cairns, then?" Vaashti asked with a tone of hopefulness. Maybe she could find clues about her father there, and what happened to him.
"I don't see why not, that place is starting to sound more and more fun.
Besides, I don't think anyone has any pressing business at the moment.
Am I wrong?"
"I agree, let's get our gear and head out."
"Let us go. I am done healing pigs."
"Well . . .. Before we run off like children to play in the Cairns again, is there anything you need, Gramps?"
"Nothing specific, but keep your eyes peeled. I am very interested in that cairn, and would love to know as much as I can about it. Please come back and tell me what you find."