When they returned to Thornford Zelera found herself of mixed opinion of the place. It wasn't the number of people but more the rigidness of it all, the artificiality, of the place with it's straight lines and dead construction. It was where she was supposed to be though so she didn't complain much, after all her reward of success would be more than worth the price.
Zelera decided, as she wandered the town, that it wasn't irredeemable. She could possibly make it a more pleasant place with some persuasion anyway. For now she spent some time getting to know the people in town and finding where things were at. She truthfully hadn't been here all that long before meeting up with those in charge so she hadn't really gotten the lay of the land yet.
Zelera quickly realized she should avoid the southeast section of town where the foundry and forge were. The stench of the places fowled the air and left her choking as she quickly moved away from them. She found the brewery with ease and eventually made her way to the shrine where she saw Colwyn leaving with a swagger and decided to follow him. While he sold things she looked through the various wares available, particularly some bolts for her new crossbow.
Reknar made it a point to offer all the rounds of drinks in the evening after they returned from the hard tussle with the trolls - "You all deserve having someone paying you drinks after how you handled yourselves" - he explained with a raucous laughter, making sure to ask each one of them what were their preferred 'poisons' when it came to alcohol - "I'll down most everything if I have to, but my choices are usually ale and a good whisky" - the half-orc promptly explains to the others as the evening proceeds.
------
The morrow brought him up early, if still with a slight twinge from the previous night's drinking - he shook it away, grabbed his clothes, weapons, armor and gear, went down for a stout breakfast, and then was out the door at sunrise - he wanted to get a feel of the the stationed troops, their morale, and overall if any particular issues had been reported in that may require attention.
He also grabbed the opportunity to visit a few keyplaces which were becoming his favorites - the small bookstore owned by Qualin the gnome, where he (kind of) secretly bought a few books whenever he had a chance - this time about the history and geography of the region. Then off to the weaponsmith to admire the new stock and exchange a few words with the burly Aggradion, even as the man's massive arms pounded steel. His last stop was the market - he liked wandering the many stalls, trading words and conversation with the traders, both local and traveling ones.
Until the meeting for drinks later Richard focuses on arrange some meetings for Colwyn with a few merchants. His familial connection to House Lebeda helped keep him informed of a few mutually beneficial opportunities in those kind of circles.
He also makes contact with a few people he had helped before and could trust ensuring that while he was seen drinking with the others a few people would claim to have spotted the Cowl elsewhere stopping a mugging.
------
"I'll not say no to a deserved drink. I hadn't imagined we'd do battle with a half dozen trolls when we headed south. I suppose that's the kind of thing that has led some of our number to avoid continuing on." Richard raises his tankard. "To absent friends."
Zelera considered the offer that Recknar made to them all of a drink later and quickly decided that she would take him up on it even if the others didn't. The problem was she didn't know what she would like since the only drinks she knew of were unlikely to be available here. Still, it idn't hurt to try so she said, "If you can get it I'll take some...how would it be said in your tongue..." she hesitated as she tried to translate the drink into the common tongue but finally gave up and simply said, "Orginales Coprustio. If you don't have any then I'll try what you recommend."
Reknar made it a point to offer all the rounds of drinks in the evening after they returned from the hard tussle with the trolls - "You all deserve having someone paying you drinks after how you handled yourselves" - he explained with a raucous laughter, making sure to ask each one of them what were their preferred 'poisons' when it came to alcohol - "I'll down most everything if I have to, but my choices are usually ale and a good whisky" - the half-orc promptly explains to the others as the evening proceeds.
Niadroub Kliip pulls out small tin flask and places it before Reknar. Sniffing it, the half-orc recognizes it as Niadroub Kliip's family's "swamp moonshine" that's he so proud of.
"Wheesky's too smooth. You want soomething thet's gooing to feight you the whole way doown."
"We need to import some lemons for lemonade," Colwyn grumbles. "I'm tired of drinking water.
"All the same, I'll leave all the strong stuff for you guys."
He taps his wooden mug upon the table, lost in thought for a moment.
"I'd been reconsidering my sobriety, up until we infiltrated the bandits' fort. When I crept in with my blade and saw the Stag Lord, sprawled out in a drunken stupor, I saw what could've been my fate. No thank you. No thank you indeed."
.....
In the marketplace, Colwyn also seeks to restock Sandy's saddlebags. In addition to purchasing trail rations for the party, he also tracks down a merchant selling alchemical goods. Although it looks like the kind of stuff that would bubble out of one of Niadroub's stills, Colwyn buys a couple flasks of alchemist's fire. He won't be caught unprepared by any more trolls. He also purchases a tent, since the sky looks like it promises rain in the next few days.
Only one matter that needs your attention in Thornford at the moment.
Young Tig Tannersen has been missing for several days now.
What are you doing?
"I'll not say no to a deserved drink. I hadn't imagined we'd do battle with a half dozen trolls when we headed south. I suppose that's the kind of thing that has led some of our number to avoid continuing on." Richard raises his tankard. "To absent friends."
"Don't have many of those" - Reknar raises his mug to Richard with a smile - "But the few I have DO deserve a toast!"
"If you can get it I'll take some...how would it be said in your tongue..." she hesitated as she tried to translate the drink into the common tongue but finally gave up and simply said, "Orginales Coprustio. If you don't have any then I'll try what you recommend."
"Hmmmmm, I've heard about that one before. Not in the most pleasant of conditions though. Ever tasted it yourself?" - he chuckles - "I seriously doubt we can find anything like it around here Zelera, but give me a sec..."
He then goes to speak with the Toad and Stag inkeep, trying to find a similar wine, both in alcoholic content, body, and acidity/sweetness balance.
"Wheesky's too smooth. You want soomething thet's gooing to feight you the whole way doown."
"Holy..." - Reknar snarls as soon as he takes a whiff of the moonshine - "Damn Niadroub! If you had that, why the heck did we need fire and acid to fight the trolls?!" - he laughs out loud, then pours a shot for both of them - "Bottoms up!"
"I'd been reconsidering my sobriety, up until we infiltrated the bandits' fort. When I crept in with my blade and saw the Stag Lord, sprawled out in a drunken stupor, I saw what could've been my fate. No thank you. No thank you indeed."
"I guess that makes sense Colwyn, though... You are surrounded by your friends here" - the half-orc nods - "And from what I hear about this Stag Lord, I'm sure his friends were quite different than the ones I see around this table! Choice is yours though, of course"
Young Tig Tannersen has been missing for several days now.
What are you doing?
"I can only imagine what you'd have said if we could have told you a year ago where you'd be now Colwyn."
Zelera grinned when Reknar not only understood the word but could identify what she requested and began speaking in a different language animatedly.
Zelera's expression became a little sad and wistful before she continued in the same language,
In the evening, Colwyn's mood lightens with the support of his friends. His smile returns as he is eager to lift a mug, even if only water, to honor Miss Switch, Elena, and even Mykhael.
In the morning, he returns to the Toad and Stag to deposit his new purchases and the party's new wealth. However, when he stops to read the notices posted beside the inn's door, he stomps his foot in frustration.
"Did we really put twelve hundred gold to the pyre?" he exclaims, wild-eyed at seeing the notice asking for troll's blood. "Ah, gods damn it, bloody trolls and their bloody blood."
He continues to grumble at the lost opportunity until Reknar and Richard call his attention to the missing child poster. This seems to crystallize the roguish baron's attention and mood.
"Can't have the lad lost out in the wilds where trolls and turtles might snack on him," Colwyn declares, clearly empathizing with Young Tig. "Richard, Reknar, my good men, I trust you to gather some clues about the boy's haunts. I will get the horses saddled and our gear stowed so we can get our search party on the trail as soon as possible."
Everything you need to know about Tig is in the notice. He keeps running off to explore and have 'adventures'. This time he was seen ( a regular sight by now) heading southwards down the bank of the river.
What are you doing now?
"Wait a second - how many mothers and fathers do you have?" - Reknar chuckles.
---------------
"Was hoping for some time to re-equip, but the lad may be in trouble - we should try to pick up his track down the bank of the river if you are ready to go" - Reknar pipes in.
Zelera looked at Recknar curiously as he seemed to ask her a question before she respond in the same language again,
Zelera smiled slightly at the fact that the kid had gone missing while exploring. It brought back memories of her own siblings and their misadventures. She nodded in agreement with Recknar and said, "Let's go then, I've seen children lost before, hopefully this turns out as well as those all did."
"If you've anything in mind I'm sure Oleg can arrange it being sent from Restov. I'm ready to leave soon enough."
Grumbling about all the work he has to do, Niadroub Kliip doesn't hesitate to head out when he hears that the boy is considered missing. His distraction, however, makes him forget his best practice when saddling his horse, and the damnable beast leaves a nasty welt from its teeth on the back of the arcanist's neck as he's leading him out of the stable.
His unintelligible ranting draws lots of stares from the community as the party rides out of town.
"Definitely not!" - Reknar laughs out loud - "I mean there are some big families, but usually not with several mothers. And fourteen brothers and sisters? Wow!" - he adds - "So where did you grow up exactly?"
Once out of Thornford and heading south the ground soon becomes clear of any signs of passage by people, carts and horses. One small boy is not going to leave much sign of his trail.
Survival rolls to track please folks.
When Reknar asked a question of some kind Zelera seemed to hesitate in her response. Whatever it was she was considering how to answer carefully before she finally began to speak.
Zelera smiled wistfully then as she seemed to be remembering something.
Zelera was ready when the others were to go look for the boy. She had bought some bolts for her crossbow and was more than prepared for the chance to get away from the town and back intoa more natural setting. "Well, who is going to start tracking?"
Niadroub Kllip, master hunter and survivalist, finds nothing.
Watching as his friends prove more adept at discovering the tracks of hares and elk than the footprints of a child, Colwyn dismounts from Sandy - sliding awkwardly from the saddle - and tries his own hand at picking up the trail.
Several miles down river from Thornford Colwyn picks up the tracks of a small humanoid, meandering along the banks of the river.
They go for another mile or so when they are joined by larger footprints, with clawed toes, the small footprints try to run but are chased down by the larger ones and vanish.
Close by there are marks on the banks made by two canoes being beached. The clawed footprints return to where the canoes were and leave.
The tracks look like those of Lizardfolk
What are you doing now?
"Those tracks look like Lizardfolk. They probably didn't come upriver from here as I suspect they would have been noticed that close to Thornford. I suggest we keep going this way, hopefully they've left some tracks or a territory marker we can identify."
"Lizardfolk? I don't like this," Colwyn growls. "We gotta take care of this. If people find out there're lizardfolk making off with children, we'll have a panic on our hands."
Colwyn climbs up and swings his leg over the saddle, sitting astride Sandy again.
"Think they'll be willing to parlay, like the kobolds?" he asks, grasping the reins. "I don't fancy provoking a war with some swamp tribe, especially not when our army is essentially us," he says with a sweeping hand gesture towards the party.
You follow the river south, passing several patrols and the occasional trapper or hunter you find out that several canoes, crewed by Lizardfolk were seen heading south and west on the Tuskwater.
Crossing the Skunk river you encounter swampy ground, and also find a small hut in the middle of it. It has a small fence around it, with a pumpkin headed scarecrow sitting in the garden.
What are you doing now?
"A poompkin desn't seem like the beest choice for a skercroow head."
"What? You think that thing is a thing?" - Reknar asks Niadroub, then looks at the scarecrow again - "Magic?"
The whole Scarecrow detects as magic.
"Yep, it's a 'thing' alright - whole of it radiates magic" - Reknar adds.
"Can't tell what kind of magic though - not really my specialty" - he chuckles.
"Whoever is in residence might know something about the Lizardfolk."
Involuntary shivers course through Colwyn's shoulders and neck.
"This is wholly unwholesome," he breathes, superstitiously eyeing the scene. "I'd wager, silver to scones, that some kind of hag or swamp witch lurks here. It wouldn't even be surprising to learn that she enlisted the lizardfolk to kidnap children for her spells."
His eyes fall upon the bell suspended from the gate, and he gestures towards it with a nod of his head.
"I don't know what would be the worse choice: ringing to announce our arrival or sneaking in unannounced."
Colwyn wraps his arms about himself, as though feeling a sudden chill.
Niadroub Kliip reaches past Colwyn and rings the bell.
"Mebbe she'll tell us hoow she made thet skeercroow."
As the clatter of the bell fills the air the shutter on the small window that faces the garden and fence flies open. Colwyn's worst fears are realized as an old woman glares out at you.
The old lady
Her ears are pointed and her skin is greenish. "What do you pests want?" She shrieks crossly.
"We're looking for some Lizardfolk that are causing trouble in the region."
She waves vaguely in a SW direction. "The Lizards village is that way boy. Where the Murque river joins the Candlemere lake."
.
Anyone else going to talk to her?
Colwyn winces twice: once when Niadroub rattles the tarnished bell, and again much more strongly when he hears the old woman's shrieking voice. He instinctively slides his hand to the hilt of his sword, but quickly thinks better of it. He removes his hand, lest he be turned into an actual toad before he can even draw the blade from its sheath.
"What're you doing out here?" Colwyn manages to ask, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.
"What I mean to say," he corrects himself, realizing how rude his initial question likely sounded, "This mosquito-haunted mire isn't exactly the most pleasant of real estate. Is there a reason you've made your home out here?"
"I lek yer skeercroow," Niadroub Kliip calls out, while self-consciously brushing his beard.
Colwyn. The Old Beldame glares at you for a moment before grudgingly answering. "For just that reason sonny. The location means less idiots bothering me. Can't get any work done with fools pestering me everyday for love potions, aphrodisiacs and pecker enlargers!"
Niadroub. When you make your admiring remark the Scarecrows head turns towards you, it's glowing eyes looking you over. Scarecrow
She cackles. "Really now? I warn you, he's murder on vagrants and salesmen."
What now?
As they followed the trail of the stolen child and eventually ended up at the strange cottage with the freaky scarecrow Zelera was disturbed. She didn't like scarecrows and she wasn't entirely sure why, in fact she didn't want to go near it, but she was also unwilling to be left behind so she approached anyway and made sure to keep her companions between her and the freaky scarecrow as much as possible.
When they reached the cottage and the old woman Zelera felt unease. She didn't know why exactly but something was off putting about the old woman. She carefully studied the lady looking for any indication she might not be what she appears.
He certainly didn't have time to banter with the old woman with the boys life at risk... but she knew more of this area than they did. "If we pass by this way is there anything we might bring with us, you know these lands, something you can not acquire here."
The mention of love potions raises Colwyn's eyebrows, but he quickly dismisses the idea and hopes his companions did not notice his interest. He edges back towards his horse, if only to put more distance between himself and that creepy scarecrow. Nevertheless, he keeps an ear cocked to listen for the Old Beldame's response to Richard's question.
Zelera sighed in exasperation as the men blundered their way through talking to the old woman. She decided the woman was probably safe and so she relaxed a little, stepped forward, and said, "My apologies for my companion's behavior Elder," she said respectfully, "I am Zelera and we are from a nearby town of Thornford. We didn't come for anything more than information on where the lizard folk would be found since they stole a little boy from the village who was out exploring."
Despite the way the old woman had acted towards them Zelera felt compelled to offer something in return for the information but was unsure of what she could give. Finally she asked, "is there anything we can do for you in exchange for the help you've provided?"
The Old Beldame cackles when Zelera speaks politely. "Now that you mention it dearie there are a few things I'm in need of. Come in and have a cup of tea while we chat about things."
Are you accepting her offer?