(OOC: Since the giant owl is Large sized, is shape-changed Quillary still wearing the magic Cloak? An owl with a cape might look a bit strange, but Quillary isn't trying to disguise herself for this encounter.)

Seeing that Cultist1 is trying to bewitch his buddy Jorin, Hildigrim saunters over to the leather armor goon fighting with Drusk. The thug turns his head just in time for another well-placed uppercut by Hildigrim with the hilt of the rapier. (Nice sneak damage.) Much like Faerl did earlier, this cultist slowly spins around, then slumps to the ground unconscious.

Drusk will go to the remaining splint-armor thug (who is looking woozy), and knock on his noggin with a mace and the spiritual bowling ball.

• Mace Attack: 20 Damage: 10
• SW Attack: 26 Damage: 5

(EDIT: That is weird. I thought the mace to-hit was originally a 14, now it shows 24. And when I put the mouse cursor over the damage of 6, it shows a 1d20 = 1.)

The splint armor thug falls over unconscious. Drusk is having trouble making contact with Joybringer II (the mace), but the magic smiley face gives the thug a solid bonk on the skull.

Jorin and Quillary are up. Only one leather armor cultist is still standing.

Jorin walks over to the last thug and repeats his initial proclamation, "As I said, this will not go how you think it will go" and proceeds to non-lethally mollywop him with axe and sword.

• Action: Reckless Attack Thug1
  • First Battleaxe Attack: 27 Damage: 14
  • Second Battleaxe Attack: 30 Damage: 22
• Bonus Action: Reckless Moonblade Attack: 27 Damage: 14
• + 9

Yowza

Quillary's clothing and equipment merges with the animal shape when she changes. She is a purist that way, and sees no sense in having her animals wear her clothes or carry her equipment. So no, no tiny cloak on the giant owl.

Also, surely Quillary's action is not needed to subdue the remaining thugist?

Jorin's first two swipes do 33 damage.
As the cultist is toppling over like a felled tree, Jorin gives out a rage-cackle and uses the moon blade like a cricket bat. The cultist is driven 5 yards into the side of the house. (But non-lethally.)

Quillary-owl lands on Faerl's face (Large-sized creature), and brushes off some of the ash on her feathers onto him.

With all 5 of them unconscious, Hildigrim shares what he plucked from their minds.

From Faerl's mind (already mentioned in post 5370):

• After Hildigrim mentions Viallis, Hildi sees in his mind the house at the top of the hill, south of this house.
• Only for a moment, but Hildi also sees a memory from 5 years ago. Faerl is standing with Lord Viallis, amid a grove of gnarled scrub trees. Faerl points to a half-fallen stone tower, long abandoned and crumbling, and suggests it is a suitable site for a summer home.

From Thug1 (new info):

• Lord Viallis is the leader of what he calls the Burnt Tongue Cult, and he has made Greenfast the center of the cult’s activities.
• Viallis worships a dark entity called Gaernoo, whose power he channels by sacrificing prisoners. This otherworldly patron provides Lord Viallis with aberrant creatures to command.
• Lord Viallis took over an old ruin an hour's travel outside the village, claiming he would turn it into an estate. The work at the site is a ruse for opening up and rebuilding a series of subterranean chambers, which now constitute the cult’s temple. With the temple completed, Lord Viallis has ordered the cult’s activities to be stepped up.
• These thugs keep an eye out for trouble and keep their ears open for word of nondescript travelers passing through the area. When Viallis needs new sacrifices, the cultists snatch victims along the Trade Way at night. (They haven't snatched anyone today, but there are other gangs operating away from the village.)

Drusk: "They should be unconscious for at least a few hours. We can tie them up. For the short term, do we stash them in the house or the barn?

"I want a good night's rest before we do any more fighting. I also don't feel like guarding these goons all night. What should we do with them? (Killing them is not an option!)"

Jorin spits, "Foul sorcery afoot.  Friends, I do not believe we should show this, lord Viallis the same mercy we have shown his goons.  His blood should wet our blades."  He turns to Drusk, listens, and adds, "Yes, tie them roughly and store them the same.  The town's law is likely in on this foulness too, yes?  Otherwise, we could hand the bundle over to them."

The giant owl shudders, hunches, and then all the feathers slough off, pooling on the ground in a low fog, leaving Quillary standing there. The spores slowly swirl about her feet.

”They serve this… creature. Life and death are too good for him, but these… bind them. Bind them well. If they escape I cannot promise mercy.” She turns and stalks away (though she doesn’t go far, just to the nearest treeline). She will spend the night there, rather than in Faerl’s home. 

The five of them are tied up, gagged, and tossed into the house. The fireplace is put out, so it looks like no one is home (or has already gone to sleep).
A quick search of the house and the barn (where the thugs and cultists were hanging out) doesn't reveal anything useful.

Drusk: "We know they are serving dinner at The Bulging Cauldron. And we have rooms to sleep there. How about we figure out our next step over some food and drink? Quillary shouldn't spend the night outdoors if she doesn't have to."

Jorin's mood shifts at the thought of food and drink, he shouts over to Quillary, "Come, roost with us at the tavern.  Food and drink will smooth your feathers."

There is a noise from the woods that might be a short laugh. Nothing else.

(Quillary's too angsty right now to actually give in, but she will join the others in the tavern after they have been there a bit. In the meantime, she will watch the house for rescue or anything unusual. She'll make it about half an hour before making her way back to town.)

Hildigrim asks Volo to stay and watch the bound men and leads the group back to food and shelter, his stomach grumbling joyfully in anticipation.

The not-really-an-owl (Volo) and no-longer-an-owl (Quillary) watch over the house for about half an hour.
Then the rumbling in her tummy motivates Quillary to head to the tavern, leaving Volo to watch over the unconscious thugs.
(I'm assuming Volo was ordered to fly to Hildigrim at the tavern if any more strange people show up and try to get into the house.)

At the tavern, Drusk takes 2 GP out of the party funds, to cover the dinner orders. (That will include a 4th order, which is to be kept warm and ready until Quillary shows up.)

Old Fargo (the proprietor)  brings the food orders. You've been spoiled by Pascal's cooking, but it isn't bad, and tastes better due to the fatigue of the day's fast march.
Travelers are not all that common, so Old Fargo decides to chat. (He wants to make a good impression on the visitors spending a lot of silver.)
"Say, your group looks worse for wear than we you first arrived (and reserved the upstairs rooms). Please tell my you weren't attacked while you were walking around? I'd advise you stay indoors until daybreak. The village deputies have put up notices that some travelers on the Trade Way have been reported missing, although they haven't found the kidnappers yet."

Quillary looks up from her food. "Village deputies?" she says around a mouthful.

While she waits, Quillary wonders if the village has law enforcement. :)

Quote from Mingofaust >>

Quillary looks up from her food. "Village deputies?" she says around a mouthful.

(Quillary can pipe in when she arrives a bit later. For now, Jorin and Hildigrim have to react to Old Fargo.)

Jorin is also intrigued by the report of village deputies saying, "Deputies eh?  Did they give a description of the missing villages?  Perhaps we saw them on our journey here."

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

Jorin is also intrigued by the report of village deputies saying, "Deputies eh?  Did they give a description of the missing villages?  Perhaps we saw them on our journey here."

"Eh, how would I know if anyone went missing today? News travels fast, but not that fast... Nothing in the last week. People have gone missing, a few at a time, stretching back many weeks and months. The regular travelers know to be cautious along the Trade Way. Since your group is new here, I thought you might not have known to be more wary of bandits than usual.

"From your clothing and manners, you folks came from Waterdeep, right? You have to understand this is a small farming village. Not much of a law enforcement. We got a fine jail, mostly for drunks to sleep off the night, and a sheriff, but the deputies are volunteers. They put in some time to get a few more coins, when they aren't doing their main job of farming. I doubt they know anything more than what was posted, which was handed to them by Waterdeep authorities or some other nobles along the Trade Way. If you want descriptions, you'll probably have to visit one of them."

"I see, well thank you for the warning tavern master.  Your food is fine and your ale is finer." Jorin takes a drink and then adds on, "Say, do you know about any old ruins outside of town?  We heard an interesting tale from one of our patrons, you see we also run a tavern, well more of a bristo really, in waterdeep, and we here all kinds of interesting tales, as I am sure you do."

Quillary was standing nearby, but didn't join the table until her food was ready in the kitchen. (The current conversation didn't start until the party's dinner was prepared, so that gave her time to only be slightly late.) She was able to overhear the important bits of the conversation. She sits down at the table, putting down the plate (that she already started on) and the mug.

Old Fargo nods in greeting, then responds to Jorin.
"Well, anytime you get away from the cities, you hear prospectors (and con men) talking about mysterious and forgotten ruins."
Fargo thinks a bit. For a fleeting moment, his face tightens up, like he stepped in something nasty. But then he puts the warm smile back on his face.
"You'll have to share the story you heard. Maybe more details will help about what ruins you are looking for."

"Pascal, he is our chef and also absent adventuring packmate, he was talking to a patron about having a hard time finding some sort of..." Jorin says, fishing for something to say, "...pheasant...and the patron told him about a ruined estate about an hour outside of Greenfast.  Lots of pheasants there, he said."

Quillary's eyes narrow... is the barman on the up and up?

Insight: 20