Session 6: Morning of Day 23 of Readying Part One

Our adventurers Calbach, Lhoss, Kyro, Hilja, Myrtle, Chalkboy, Gnorcia, and Cheeky all filled up with breakfast at the Slumbering Serpent, then headed out to meet with Ramne. These notes are taken from Gnorcia's journal.When we arrived at Ramne's home in the woods, Lhoss fed fruit to his pet weasel Whiskers and seemed to have made a new friend. Among Chiki’s entourage of animals (a cow, goat, pig, songbird, and small hawk) his small hawk was hungry and flew off. We told Ramne of our adventures from the night before and he explained that they were likely foul Troglodytes that we met last night, coming up from the swampy Rushmoor marshes to the south. He suggested we investigate more at the temple with Priestess Misha, as well as do some covert action to learn more at the Golden Grain Inn. He told us not to trust the blacksmith, but that we should meet the mayor, Zacharias Orman, who he does not believe is part of the problem, and to potentially inquire with the tailor and other villagers.

As we left the grove, Chiki’s small hawk returned with a mouse and we set off to visit an imposing house near the lake, which we guessed was the mayor’s house. Zacharias Orman himself opened the door to our knock, invited us inside, and offered us food and drink. He said that it was true there appear to be dark forces in the town, but it is difficult to ascertain what is going on. He also surprised us with his suspicion that Ramne is potentially the person behind it all, because he's a hermit and keeps to himself in his house in the woods. The mayor said that people have been disappearing and then coming back and behaving strangely, as though a shadow has come over their faces. He no longer trusts the two clerics at the temple, and is suspicious of the blacksmith, storekeeper, and carpenter.

While we were talking and eating, suddenly an old man jumped out with a sword and yelled at us! The mayor seemed very embarrassed and told the man to go back to his post. He glared fiercely at each of us but returned to hiding behind the curtains. So odd! The mayor finished by telling us that he does like the other folk in the town, though some have become distant and short so it is hard to know.

As we left, it was late morning and we stopped at the house next to the mayor’s house. A male elf answered the door, surprised and happy to see us, especially Lhoss. His name was Dorian and he introduced us to another elf there, Llywillan. He said they were there working for the mayor and investigating the suspicious things going on in Orlane. He confirmed that the Foaming Mug Inn was captured by cultists who appear to be gaining control of the minds of some of the people in the village. They are observing both the Golden Grain Inn and the temple, and said that both the smithy and the people at the temple have been turned, and that the smithy is now very angry and foul, and even the constable has possibly been turned.

Dorian and Llywillan wouldn't say much more and asked us to bring them proof that we had met with and overcome the Troglodytes. Why didn’t we think of that at the time? Those Troglodytes did smell pretty bad, though. Nobody would have wanted a smelly trophy in their bag. But we went to look for a way to get back into the inn to retrieve a trophy of some kind, and to possibly talk with the smithy or others along the way to the temple.