With Oleg's permission, Castor will use part of the downtime to construct a small shrine to Desna on the road to the fort, to bring luck to the expedition and future travelers to come.
Once that's done, he will spend some days helping the newcomers get set up, and the rest earning come capital.
While at camp, he prepares "Blessing of the Watch" in most of his spell slots every day to help the fort guard, should they be attacked. He also prepares healing spells if necessary and uses his channeling liberally should anyone get injured.
A few days into their stop, after helping the new men with their settlements for a time, Castor is feeling restless; working in such a localized environment is not sitting very well with him. With the party's agreement, he sets out with a passing merchant caravan, traveling the region's road with them for a week and offering Desna's blessings at local shrines and to passerby, to curry favor and donations for his cause. Ten days later, he returns to the fort, refreshed, gifted with more of Desna's favor, and perhaps just a little bit richer.
Castor keeps that money aside from his own, for it was earned for Desna's benefit, and not for his. He resolves to save it until he has a chance to spend it for the good of his faith.
Theod will assist the others in setting up the fort and making sure they have some food to tide them over initially. He'll dance with Cappi to help with morale and keep people entertained. The rest of the time when he isn't studying the maps he'll be out gathering food.
Theod, Cappi, and Brom pitch in around the post and over the next two weeks help build the morale of the occupants as well as lend their varied skills to the expansion and growth of the area. The soldiers begin to warm up to the party a bit, not being quite as standoffish as they were before.
Castor spends a majority of the time the party is back at the post on a short road trip, traveling with a merchant caravan to Restov and keeping their spirits up. With the bandit activity in the area the men welcome another into their group and are grateful of his presence at the end of the journey. He finds a return trip with a group of fur trappers who are headed into the Stolen Lands for the upcoming season, and the men agree to make a short stop at Oleg's along their way.
Hadin assists the new men with the start of construction on their new homes, lending his skills as a carpenter to the effort. In just a few days the foundations are laid and the gathering of materials is completed. Once their efforts are well underway he focuses his efforts on creating a small shrine to Erastil within the post, and Jhod gladly assists Hadin and performs a Consecration of the grounds upon completion of the shrine's construction.
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As the second group comes within sight of the Trading post, Will breathes a sigh of relief. Not only had they completed the request from Bokken, but they also explored far more than they had expected, finding both a gem cave and a one with a very dangerous spider. Unconsciously he rubs the area the spider had skewered him, remembering very little beyond the intense, searing pain of mandibles and venom.
When the enter the Post proper, Will greets the others, smiling and clapping them on the back, asking about the newcomers and how their exploration went.
As Boon, Dendarial, Karse, Rufus, Will & Winifred break the rise to see the new construction about the trading post, Rufus' expression clears somewhat, as though a previously unacknowledged tension was lessened.
Well, has been productive, certainly. That is more people than we left here by a notable degree.
"Seems you've some catching up to do Will, deeds have been done, songs need singing." With that, he whistles for Boon & picks up his own pace.
Oleg screws up his face a little at the question from Sir Karse, "A warhorse you say? Goodness lad, what are you planning on doing with something like that? Of course I can see if someone in Restov is selling, they are always mustering for some battle or another with those down south. Did you have something specific in mind, or will any old monstrosity of an animal do?"
Some days later, Castor returns from his trip with the caravan. He seems quite happy and proud as he rides into the fort upon a nicely brushed and well-fed Capella.
Clearly, a few days on the road has done the cleric good.
"Ah! I see the others have returned while I was gone. How have your travels been?"
When the time seems convenient, Castor will approach Oleg and inquire about the two starknives he sought to acquire during his last stop at the fort.
Oleg ducks into the storeroom for a few minutes and returns with a pair of shining new starknives and hands them over to Castor. "Luck was obviously on your side there lad, last caravan through happened to find the pair of those in a prior town and picked them up to trade on a lark. Surprised they were when I asked if they had any to part with. Someone must be watching your back." He gives a wink to Castor as he accepts the payment for the weapons, dropping the coins into the pouch at his belt.
"Such is life for the faithful of Luck," Castor chuckles, weighing the weapons.
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Will spends the first few days after their return getting to know the new arrivals and recovering from his ordeal with the spider. He still continues his various prayer cycles; at times offering prayer to Erastil, Desna, Shelyn, Sarenrae, Cayden Cailean, and Abadar. He asks for guidance and wisdom, the ability to aide his comrades and friends, and the ability to succeed and thrive in this savage land.
A few days in, he is out of the fort offering prayers to Sarenrae as the dawn rises. As the morning light crests the horizon, a light beam illuminates the bard. While nothing initially significant, as the minutes pass and the sun rises, the light beam remains fixed upon the kneeling form. Slowly, light begins to emanate not only from the shaft of light, but from Will as well. The light grows stronger, and with it, power flooding into him. Unable to contain it, Will's arms are flung out to his side as bolts of fire fly from his hands, leaving scorch marks in the grass. Then, slowly, the light leave him. His breath ragged, he stares at his hands a moment, unable to believe the new found power coursing through his veins. As his eyes refocus, he sees the destruction he caused upon the landscape, and sees the burnt form of a groundhog caught too close. Approaching the beast, his hands again glow, this time with a nimbus of light that fans the embers of life still clinging to the singed animal. Slowly, the beast regains life, chittering angrily at the man that just saved him before scurrying off to its hole.
Returning to the fort, Will seems older, more mature. The innocent twinkle in his eyes replaced with wisdom and understanding of his purpose. Approaching Oleg, he speaks for the first time since his ordeal, "I think I need a holy symbol of Sarenrae if you have one. I'd also like to see about building a shrine out there when the workers have some time. Facing east obviously." he says, a bit of smile coming to his face as he remembers to include that last part.
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Will thanks Oleg for the symbol and pays with some of the coin from the spider that nearly cost him his life. Over the next couple of days, he attuned himself to it, like a fighter growing accustom to a new grip. He also tests the limits of Sarenrae's blessings to him, casting spells and using abilities till exhausted.
Winifred will spend much of her time after arriving back at the fort conversing with others and studying, offering prayers to Aroden as she does.
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Much of Karse's downtime is spent in prayer and meditation. Something seems to be bothering the paladin, but if asked, he dismisses the thought. He does, however, make a little time to spend with Winifred, if she will have his company. He makes light conversation with her, asking about her feelings on the quests thus far, etc.
Hadin talks with the priest of Erastil to get as much information as possible about the lost temple, and give him part of his money for Erastil's charity work.
Then the young man tries to persuade his aunt to take a share of his newfound gold, telling him this gold may very well be more useful here to pay the guards or to buy needed stuff than in a purse dangling to his belt, or stolen by bandits on the roads, or lost to everyone if a animal cause his demise in this wild lands.
Diplomacy check to persuade Auntie: Take ten (10+7=17)
Hadin talks with the priest of Erastil to get as much information as possible about the lost temple, and give him part of his money for Erastil's charity work.
Then the young man tries to persuade his aunt to take a share of his newfound gold, telling him this gold may very well be more useful here to pay the guards or to buy needed stuff than in a purse dangling to his belt, or stolen by bandits on the roads, or lost to everyone if a animal cause his demise in this wild lands.
Diplomacy check to persuade Auntie: Take ten (10+7=17)
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Having grown a bit more accustom to his new abilities and the feeling of a holy symbol upon his chest, Will begins to ask various members of the group about their immediate plans. ”I can see two definite concerns that need to be dealt with, the Bandit camp our newest recruits used to call home, and the Kobolds. I know a few of our group has been studying their language over the past few day in preparation, so we can talk to them now, which will be a bonus. I also know there are some other issues in the area that need to be taken care of as well, but those might be less of a priority. Now that we are rested up a bit, we should probably continue our mission, yes? What is the highest priority task you can see for our group to complete? Do we again wish to split up into two teams and resolve two or more issues at once?”
"Splitting in two groups has done us good up to now," Castor reflects. "I see no reason to abandon that strategy. The bandits and the kobolds strike me as our two major priorities as well. Perhaps we ought to make a team best suited for combat that will head to the bandit camp, while a second team, more suited to diplomacy could try and find the kobolds?"
If I may give my opinion, if it may be a good option to separate against the Kobold and maybe another minor foe, it may be a mistake to use the same strategy against the bandit camp. We're not talking about a minor issue but a serious threat, that's been here for a while. This Stag Lord surely has still a bunch of fellows, and even if some of them have deserted, he has maybe recruited new troops. And he's in a fortified place, ready to defend himself. I propose, against this foe, to use a different plan, and to attack him with all our forces, both group together!
Personally, i'd like to find the hidden temple of Erastil, and you Sir Karse?