Quillary will climb out of the wagon and stretch audibly, her cloud of motes puffing out and dissipating. She will gather her small pack and wait for the lieutenant. As Fanny and Bart finish, she'll call out to Fanny, "What is your duty here, then?"

When she finds out their orders, she'll glance suspiciously at the inn, but follow the rest in, if that's what we do. She has no hang ups about sharing rooms with boys, and will gladly take part in a meal (on the City Guard's coin, of course).

After whatever pleasantries, but before turning in, she'll step out into the night, and take deep breaths of the night air. Then, if anyone is watching (she's not shy about what she's doing, it doesn't seem private), she'll crouch down and scoop up a small handful of dirt, sifting it through her hands, smelling it, humming some words (to it?) in her secret language, and eventually eating it. Returning to the inn, she'll refuse any offer of water, though she'll ask to have her waterskin refilled.

Finally, she will retire to her whatever room she's in, but after poking suspiciously at the bed, will sleep on the floor.

Jorin would like to see just how far the City Guard's coin will go in procuring food and drink, mostly drink, for the evening before settling in to bed.  

What sort of folk are in the inn with them during the eating and drinking?

Quillary is happy to drink up, too!

Quote from Mingofaust >>

As Fanny and Bart finish, she'll call out to Fanny, "What is your duty here, then?"

(link for post 1208) "I already mentioned that we are stuck patrolling this village for the next score of days, protecting the stables of the fancy horse breeders.

"I notice you avoided my earlier question about your task. Some secret mission for a Masked Lord, maybe?"

Quillary has the honesty to look abashed. "Of course," she walks up to Fanny. "No, we're just checking on a late shipment of something or another on the river. Not secret, just not terribly important. They have nice horses here, then?"

"Cargo duty? That sounds almost as bad as village patrol... Maybe that lord of yours is trying to sneak something past customs. Yeah, that would explain why he didn't use the City Watch. Wouldn't that be interesting..." For a moment, Fanny is caught up in conspiracy theories, but then remembers your group is there.

"Horses? Yeah, Amphail Grays are well respected up and down the Sword Coast. But it does mean patrolling is 20 days of slogging through horse... dung."

Bart speaks up (careful not to look at Quillary): "Fetching a boat on the river sounds like easy money, as long as you don't run into bandits or cultists. At least you don't have to go to that dump, Dynnegall."

History check: 12

After eating, and when the others are discussing rooms, Hildigrim explains he's heard the legend of the Ghost of Amphail and how it is rumored to patrol the streets after dark. "I'd like to try my luck at spotting the spirit," the halfling says with a smile. "Anyone want to join me?"

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

History check: 22

After eating, and when the others are discussing rooms, Hildigrim explains he's heard the legend of the Ghost of Amphail and how it is rumored to patrol the streets after dark. "I'd like to try my luck at spotting the spirit," the halfling says with a smile. "Anyone want to join me?"

Jorin drains his 4th ale, or is it his 5th...and says, "A ghost hunt?  Aye, I'll hunt some specters with you!"

Two conversations going at once...

To Bart's mention of Dynnegall...

Quillary turns a frosty gaze on Bart. "Dynnegall is where we are headed first." Then she melts... just a little, after all, he's more rough and tumble than high and mighty. "You're not very... elvish, are you. What should we know of Dynnegall?"

On Hildi's suggestion of a ghost hunt...

Quillary is all over that. "A ghost? Yes, I would help you search for it!" She carefully puts down the tankard of whatever she was drinking, and smooths her tangled hair (hat?) a little, making sure the cat skull is still firmly attached.

(OOC: It was a rough ride in the wagon these past two days. If you want to go ghost hunting this evening, you'll have a level of exhaustion when you depart in the morning... If you want to investigate AFTER this module is finished, when Howldown is in full swing, that can be arranged.)

Quote from Mingofaust >>

"You're not very... elvish, are you. What should we know of Dynnegall?"

 

Bart is flummoxed at not being elf-like, but then focuses on Dynnegall. "It was a decent tiny village, some time back. But now it is just a military outpost to keep the river safe... safer. The people gradually moved away. The family I met said that there was all kinds of bad luck, and they knew someone who saw bandits and weird happenings in the woods..."

Fanny gives him a clout to the back of his head. "This is exactly why we got sent here by the CO. You wouldn't stop blabbing about unsubstantiated ghost stories."

(to Quillary) "The woods along the river are a bit creepy, but if there was any truth to these rumors, the City Watch would sent a force to take care of the situation." (leans closer and speaks confidentially) "You didn't hear it from me, but I bet it is a bunch of crazy moon cultists hiding nearby, plotting a revolution. There will be a lot of glory when we have to put them down..."

Jorin says to Bart, "It does not sound like the outpost is making the area safer.  Have there been any more than usual problems lately?"

Re: looking for the ghost of Amphail tonight:

Quillary will yawn and have second thoughts about ghost hunting in the evening. Exhaustion is nothing to sneer at.

Re: earlier conversation with Bart and Fanny:

Quillary looks up as Jorin comes over to join them. "If the elf is speaking plainly, it seems like there might be more to this trip than we expected."

What kind of elf is Bart? Wood? High? Other?

(OOC: Bart would be High Elf. But he would be the one whining that Legolas isn't that handsome, and that he could slay mumakils and cave trolls too, if it wasn't for this paper cut on his index finger.)

(Bart to Jorin): "Lights in the woods at night. Demon boars destroying barns. Plagues of rats eating the grain. Eyes looking in windows when there is no one outside..."

(Fanny to Jorin): "Tall tales, none of which has been verified. All of what he says is from villagers who moved to Waterdeep, trying to scare the city-slickers."

(OOC: You can ask more questions of Bart and Fanny if you like, and we will ret-con the timeline.)

Hildigrim gets the party excited about looking for the Ghost of Amphail, said to patrol the streets at night. The party heads to the center of the village. You pass a tavern called the Stag-Horned Flagon, but it is closed, with a sign on the door reading: "Repairs finished soon. Re-opening at the start of Howldown, under new management."

There are also two statues at the ends of the town center:

• A statue of a rearing-horse, celebrating the horses bred in the village.
• A statue of a noble human figure in plate armor with a shield and great sword. A plaque nearby reads: "Amphail Caradoon the Just. War Lord of Waterdeep. Died 941 DR driving back the troll hordes."

The party continues down the road for another minute, when you feel a few raindrops. The temperature has dropped to a bit above freezing, the wind has picked up, and it feels like a heavy rain is coming. Not a good night to be wandering the streets. The party races back the way you came, to get back to the inn before you are soaked.

Hildigrim notices something, but everyone else was looking in a different direction at the time. (DirtyDogP can read the spoiler, but no one else, please.)

As the party is running back toward the inn, Hildigrim stops at the entrance to an alley, looking into it with wide eyes. One of the others notices and hollers back, "Come on, Hildigrim! You're going to get soaked!" Hildigrim looks at his friends running away, then back into the alley with a frustrated look on his face. Glancing finally up at the dark sky, he covers his head with his hands and picks up running after the others.

Once inside the inn, the halfling tells the others very excitedly that he may have seen something. "I noticed this tall figure in heavy armor adjacent to the statues. It was aglow." He makes a face of concentration. "It didn't appear to be carrying a lantern ... well, it appeared to shine like a lantern. Anyway, I noticed it enter that alleyway, but once we were there, I could see it no longer." He looks at the other boys with a big grin. "Hainard's hairy toes, I think it was the ghost!"

OOC > I'm okay with not bogging down the adventure more with a grilling of Bart and Fanny.

Quillary doesn't run from the rain, but she does head back to the inn, arriving just ahead of Hildi and his excited tale. She turns to look back outside, but seeing nothing turns back, shaking her head to scatter rain drops. "Who is Hainard?" she asks during a lull in the conversation about ghosts.

Jorin stares blankly at Quillary's question before saying, rather dumbfoundedly, "Hildi, I have never asked you that question, in all the time we have known each other.  I am sorry.  He must have been quite important for you to invoke his name so often.  Please tell us of Hainard."

Hildigrim is taken aback by Quillary's question, and when Jorin speaks up, the halfling actually blushes. "Well, Jamus Hainard was a paladin. Or maybe is. At least, that's what my grandfather told me. I'm not actually sure. The phrase is something my grandfather says, and my father says it, and all of us kids stay it, but I've never actually found any record of any famous halfling by the name of Jamus Hainard. Not that I've spent much time looking specifically for him. Maybe I should. Oh, my grandfather mentioned one time about him being a path finder or something." Hildi gives a little shrug.

“A ranger, this path finder, turned holy warrior?” Quillary muses. “That sounds complicated. But perhaps after some time trying the first, he made a second attempt, and found it worked better for him? In any case, perseverance pays off for many things.”

With this, Quillary will bid the crew good night, and head to bed (or rather, to the floor of her room).