Quote from Rockchewer >>

"Hmmm... that big brute was smarter than he looked." He turns to John, "What happened to the body? And did you notice if the murderer was burnt when he ran past you?"

 
John stops.  He closes his eyes and seems to really think about it.  
“Now that you ask… damn I just can’t recall.  If he was burned, it wasn’t enough that I noticed.  Of course my eyes were more focused on his bow and the thought of whether he was going to put an arrow in me.  I’m sorry.  I guess I don’t remember.”

”The body?  Them folks from her employer came and took it back to Bardstown.  For her next of kin I’d imagine.”

5

 As the group exits the hotel, they engage in conversation about what the next step should be?  Press on to Northbridge?  Look to see if further clues can be found at a fishing shack mentioned in the notes... could they even find such a thing?

As they near the main road, they are interrupted by a handsome young man... perhaps 17 years old.  He'd been leaning between two buildings but emerged as you approached.  He is in leather armor, but nicer armor than the militia men you saw on the other side of town.  "You folk... are you on the trail of something?  I only ask because I saw the most peculiar thing.  Some others came out of that building a short while ago, laughing that they had 'picked up the real trail, and that it leads back toward Bardstown, not West like all the other fools would believe.'"  He shrugs.  "I can't say what all that means, but I like to help people and if you ask me, it sounds like whatever you're looking for might be back the way you came.  And it sounds like you might want to hurry, before they beat you to it."

There's something about the way he smirks as he is telling you this tale... everyone one of you is absolutely convinced this kid is full of $#!+.

Rohuzar looks to Guilim gesturing towards the boy. 

(I’d like to help guilim with whatever he attempts. This seems like this might suit g-man’s strengths)

Aubrey ignores the young man and his obvious lies, although it would be interesting to know who put him up to it.
"So, Rohuzar, do we have time to rest at the Riverside Roadhouse before trying to track down the tracker?" Aubrey asks the orc commander.

Guilim raises a brow at the young man and cracks his neck as he takes a few steps towards him, looking up at him with a crooked grin. "Really please tell us more. I find your story very interesting but a load of cow shit. Now tell us who paid you to lie... It will save all of us a lot of trouble." 

Intimidation: 15

Rohuzar looms menacingly behind Guilim

The cool smile vanishes from the young man's face as he hears Guilim's statement, and sees the armored and muscular halfling and green orc bearing down on him.

"Ah.  Well.  The thing about that is...".  He turns on his heel and begins to run.

INITIATIVE in case anyone plans to either grab him, or chase him once he starts running:

Custer: 12

If he gets a turn off, Custer will use Cunning Action to disengage, then run 30 feet and dash another 30 feet northwest toward the woodline at the edge of town.

Aubrey initiative: 20

"Oh no you don't" Aubrey says as the young man tries to run away. Aubrey swiftly calls upon the powers of his talisman to force the young man towards Guilim and Rohuzar (Telekinetic shove 5' Save str dc 13) and then giving help action to anyone trying to restrain him.

Initiative: 13

Grugga is turned away for a moment when the lad starts to run. If the young man manages to get away from his party, Grugga was run and dash after him, and yell, "Wait! You scoundrel, come back!"

Rohuzar wants to grab Custer’s right arm and leave Guilim to grab the left, tackling to the ground 

If he’s too slow, he’ll let the boy run

initiative 3 

athletics 18 

Leelan just watches the scene in confusion. 

"What the devil was that? An inane attempt at misdirection?"

If he’s fast enough, he’ll create an image of Guilim blocking the boy’s way using minor illusion.

Initiative: 16

(If this is a bit too advanced for minor illusion, disregard my action. Leelan is just going to watch.)

Initiative: 18

Guilim will do his best to grab the boy, knowing that in his armor he would be slower then him but trying anyway.

Aubrey

Leelan

Custer

Guilim

Rohuzar

Grugga

 "Oh no you don't" Aubrey says as the young man tries to run away. Aubrey swiftly calls upon the powers of his talisman to try to force the young man back towards his allies. Strength save 7 but the young man plants his feet and resists the push.  Aubrey then prepares to help his allies grab the boy.  But no the rest were briefly caught off guard by the escape attempt.

Leelan creates an image of Guilim blocking the boy’s way using minor illusion.  The image is static, and it lacks Guilim's long halberd, but for the moment there is a frozen, cardboard cutout-like image of the armored halfling frozen in a menacing pose behind the young man.

The young man deftly steps away from the reach of Rohuzar and Guilim (disengage as cunning action bonus action) and turns on his heel... only to see an image of Guilim lurking right behind him.  He is able to quickly identify it as an illusion (but burns his action in the process, so no dash).  He races right through the image of Guilim and runs 30 feet toward the woodline to the Northwest.

Guilim gives chase, but the young man is just out of reach (25ft vs 30ft movement).

Rohuzar however is able to catch up with the young man and grabs him.  The wiry young man does his best to wriggle away Acrobatics contest vs 18: 5 but Rohuzar's grip is firm.  (We'll say Aubrey completes his help action and joins Rohuzar and Guilim in surrounding the young man.)

Grugga meanwhile races further ahead and stands between them and the treeline, cutting off escape in that direction.

***

Firmly in Rohuzar's grasp, and surrounded, there is panic in his eyes.  His free left hand touches the handle of a dagger sheathed on his hip - but then he realizes the folly of drawing arms.  He stops resisting.

"Look, its all fair, eh?  Its nothing but business!"  He looks at you all.  "What do you plan to do to me?  You can't hurt me."  The last line is spoken as a statement, but sounds almost like a question.

"You think we can't hurt you. Let's not find out shall we, just tell us who put you up to this?" Aubrey says to the young man, glaring at him ominously.
Intimidate: 21 assuming help from someone. Insight trying to determine if any answer is truthful: 22

The group stands around the young man, just north of the main road out of Midway and just west of the Holt & Stuffet Inn, near the treeline.  In the quiet dawn hour, no one has yet paid any attention to your activities.

The young man's eyes widen at Aubrey and he looks back and forth between Guilim and Rohuzar.

"I... I... I'm Custer Quick," he stammers.  "I'm with the Screaming Banshees.  Maybe you've heard of us?  We're kind of a big deal.  We took down the Titan of Tinerbivios last year."  He continues to look back and forth between you all and it is obvious he is looking for any potential opening to run again.  "My horse blew a lung and died on ride here from Bardstown last night.  The others thought I would slow them down so they left me here to walk back to the city.  I figured... hey, why not try to give my mates a leg up and throw another crew or two off of the scent?  But you guys didn't fall for it - clever lot, you - so no harm, no foul.  Just let me go and we'll pretend this sad incident never happened?"

Aubrey:

Anyone, History DC 16

History 16

Aubrey history: 15

"I believe he is telling us the truth this time." Aubrey messages Rohuzar. "Not very loyal to you those teammates of yours. Tell us where they went and why!" Aubrey continues the charge on Custer.

Grugga approaches the group now that the young man seems to be in no position to get away. He puts a calming hand on Aubrey's shoulder, "They're on their way to recover the same artifact we are for the same reason we are. The Titan of Tinerbivios rings a bell - people are still talking about that and it happened last fall. Seems we've got stiff competition ahead of us. What we ought to do is bring Custer to John so he can pay back the alcohol his group stole and the damage they caused to his first floor property."

Aubrey glances over at Grugga. "Yes I am aware they are here for the same reason as we are but I thought it would be intersting to know what their plan was exactly and why. They just might have a lead that we don't have yet." He messages to Grugga and turns his attention back to Custer.

History: 8

Leelan becomes curious at the mention of the Titan.

"Mmm…I don’t believe I know of this Titan of Tinerbivios. Is it some sort of creature? A tall one I reckon, judging from the name alone. What can you tell me about it?"