(oh man, yes, i remember that now.  Fun to be in a game that has run on so long)

Jorin doesn't say anything, but his face expresses some concern at the thought that Mary's baubles are bound to her against their will, if a will is a thing that they have.  He is quickly distracted by the offer to read his cards and says, "I would have my fate read, yes.  The Bodt do not generally put much stock in such things, but I am yet curious."

The group rides on. The following happens on the road to Rassalantar. Let me know if anyone wants to do something.

1. The group passes the turnoff for Criella's cottage. There is no sign, but some of you remember, and the more perceptive among you will notice hidden signs, easy to see if you are looking for them, easy to look over if you are not.

2. The group passes the Dancing Satyr, a small inn nestled to the side of the road. It looks like it has just a few rooms, and the stable is also small. You pass towards the end of the afternoon, and already there are some locals inside, farmers, mostly, you imagine.

3. The group arrives in Rassalantar, having passed no fewer than two mounted patrols wearing the livery of Waterdeep. They look you over, but exchange pleasantries and move on without incident. Rassalantar is small, seven or eight buildings, walled to keep out monsters, maybe? A large barracks is off the road, signage indicating it is populated by Waterdhavian troops. There is a large pond in the center of town, apparently spring-fed because there is only one outlet, a small creek flowing eastward. To the west is are woods, and you can see a ruined tower peeking up over the trees some distance away. Mary reins up before the Sleeping Dragon, a large-ish inn and tavern. A girls takes your horses to the stable yard on the side of the building. It is nearing dark now, and the tavern is lively with firelight and crowd noise. There are several tables of soldiers, they look off duty, a human bartender, several farmers and travelers. There don't seem to be anyone you might term 'adventurers' like you. Everyone looks at you when you come in, but goes back to their business and they leave you alone.

If you do nothing of consequence at location 1 or 2, we can move on to location 3, where Mary will offer to read cards for whomever desires it.

Jorin will look over the cottage as they ride past, and reminisce about the battles fought in its basement.  He'll do a similar thing passing by the Satyr, thinking of the food and drink they had.

When they pony up to the Sleeping Dragon, Jorin is nigh on starving and will order a veritable feast from the barkeep, complete with several pitchers of ale or, preferably, whatever alcoholic drink they are known for (if any).  He is trying to mask his eagerness for the card reading and so he will let the others go first while he eats and drinks.

Drusk will suggest stopping by the (abandoned) cottage of Criella on the return trip, when there will be more time to investigate.
Maybe more clues about that unholy basement can be uncovered, now that the party has more skills and resources that can be used.

While the Dancing Satyr sounds like a place to have fun, continuing to Rassalantar sounds more urgent right now.
If it seems like the horses need some nourishment during the afternoon, then a quick stop at the Satyr stable to buy bags of feed.

Hildigrim calls forward to Mary while joining Jorin in viewing the cottage from a distance, "Do you know if Criella is aware that your grandmother has died?"

At the Sleeping Dragon, Hildigrim makes himself greet and thank the stable girl excitedly. Riding all day has tired him out, but he's not about to let that color his attitude with rudeness. He tips the girl a shard and follows the others inside, immediately looking around for any adventurers he might encourage into sharing new tales with him. When he sees none, he decides to try the soldiers. But once he hears Jorin ordering a plethora of food and beverage from the barkeep, Hildi's stomach makes a huge rumble, and the halfling trots over to make a few additions of his own. The prospect of good food lifts his spirits for real, and he rubs his palms together in anticipation.

After eating, Hildi makes his way over to a table with soldiers that has an empty chair. He greets them with a bow and his name and asks if he may join them. If they accept, he will politely explain that he is a connoisseur of adventure stories and would love to hear any they might have to share concerning the area and their jobs as soldiers, and any gossip they may have heard regarding the road north. "We are bound for Mirabar and beyond." If they are at all reluctant to talk to him, he will offer to buy them a round.

Mary quirks an actual smile at Hildi's question. "Yes, I believe the crates upon crates of my grandmother's... stuff, the inheritance, was delivered to her doorstep with a note." She pets Mortimer absently.

(Giving rkmobius an opportunity to post if he wants to.)

Feldspar asks tentative questions about the group’s past as they pass places from their previous exploits. She seems amazed they have been together this long, in a stunned and impressed and envious way.

She gives the stable girl a gold tip to care for the horses well, and to come see her if anything is wrong at all. 

And she gives the larger men a run for their money inside when it comes to a hearty meal eating contest. The first plate  just disappears. And the second. She takes a while but she finishes the third. All the while listening to Hildi scouting with the soldiers and to anyone else’s cards being read. 

Quote from rkmobius >>

Feldspar asks tentative questions about the group’s past as they pass places from their previous exploits. She seems amazed they have been together this long, in a stunned and impressed and envious way.

She gives the stable girl a gold tip to care for the horses well, and to come see her if anything is wrong at all. 

And she gives the larger men a run for their money inside when it comes to a hearty meal eating contest. The first plate  just disappears. And the second. She takes a while but she finishes the third. All the while listening to Hildi scouting with the soldiers and to anyone else’s cards being read. 

Jorin is happy to talk about his past with Feldspar during the trip.  (Backstory in spoilers since everyone else knows it)

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

After eating, Hildi makes his way over to a table with soldiers that has an empty chair. He greets them with a bow and his name and asks if he may join them. If they accept, he will politely explain that he is a connoisseur of adventure stories and would love to hear any they might have to share concerning the area and their jobs as soldiers, and any gossip they may have heard regarding the road north. "We are bound for Mirabar and beyond." If they are at all reluctant to talk to him, he will offer to buy them a round.

Drusk takes out a gold piece and places it in Hildigrim's palm.
"Best to make that two rounds. Lliira wants celebrations done right."

Feldspar listens to Jorin, sometimes making eye contact. She doesn't say much. But she's plainly paying attention. "You have an interesting story, more interesting than most. After seeing so much of the world, and learning your craft, and assumedly new crafts, I wonder how easy it is to return to the home you knew. And in your case, which home is your home? The Bodt tribe? Mithril Hall? Or the Road Enders? How can you decide?"

Jorin sits back in his chair with a quiet sigh.  His face looks troubled, unusual for the usually careful barbarian.

He says to Spar, "Aye, a difficult question indeed.  The answer should be, home to the tribe, as all those before me.  It was not until I fell in with this lot, " he gestures broadly to the group of friends, "that I truly understood the look of longing i saw in the eyes of our smiths.  They would speak of it as though they used it in their craft.  Like another element of fire, or coal.  Put it into the work, they said, for we know better than others in the tribe what we miss being up here in the mountains."

It feels like a week has gone by, by the time Mary pulls out her cards. She raises an eyebrow at Jorin as she shuffles. Mortimer is lounging on the tabletop next to where she is laying out cards. She tuts a little over what she sees, and gathers the cards back up. "Well, northerner? Are you interested or not?"

Mary has not eaten anything, though she has sipped some water. Mortimer has eaten from a bowl.

If one of you wants to have their fortune read by Mary, roll me a d100.

Hildigrim, please roll two d100 for your talks with soldiers and sundry.

1: 55

2: 4

Feldspar won’t push for it but she won’t object to a reading: 37

The northerner is interested! 35

Hildigrim, after filling his belly, makes his way to where some Waterdhavian soldiers are playing cards and gossiping. He ingratiates himself with them, adds a round of drinks, and they are more than happy to talk. The Long Road has been quiet of late, though rumors of the Walk Statues have reached here, and one or two of them have concern for family in the city. They eagerly listen to anything Hildi tells them about this, and are happy to talk about the road north and what they may have heard A small argument breaks out among them when one guard declares rather stridently that the so-called Kwalish never existed, and the mythical figure was really a construct of Ioun, sent to walk among mortals. The other guards scoff at her story, though another does mention that he has heard from a cousin of a friend's sister who had a dalliance with a merchant who visited Mirabar that there is a secretive monastery hidden up in the mountains. Maybe, he concedes, this monastery might be dedicated to Ioun, but it could just as easily be a Zhentarim hideout, or something else.

Jorin wipes his mouth and, a little nervously, seats himself in front of Mary. She looks up at him and nods, sweeping her hands so that the deck she has been using gathers itself and floats away behind her, and another comes forward. She gathers it up, and shuffles, her eyes on Jorin the whole time.

She lays out cards in a pattern, here eyes now scanning them. They are unusually illustrated, some with figures and animals, others with geometric shapes and faded swirls. There is no sense to them. Mary tsks, and Mortimer hops up onto the table to sit at her shoulder, watching the cards. She hovers a hand over them, then pauses, and closes it into a fist.

She looks up at Jorin, then she points at cards in quick succession. "One for the fire. Two for the clouds. Three for the knights." She purses her lips, then shrugs. "I trust that means something to you, because it means little to me. Of course, I just do the reading." She gathers the cards and watches the barbarian expectantly.

After Jorin's reading (feel free to add commentary, we can run this events simultaneously), Mary glances about the room, her eyes landing on Feldspar. She smiles, and it looks positively dangerous. "Come, little curiosity. I wish to tell your fortune."

After Feldspar makes her somewhat unwilling way to Mary's table, the tiefling shuffles the same deck she used with Jorin, her eyes on her victim. She lays out the cards (in a different pattern), and then looks down at them. Mortimer reaches out to bat at one of the cards, knocking it out of place, and Mary raises an eyebrow. Then she makes eye contact with Feldspar again.

"Swords will pierce your heart," she says, then her hand drifts to the card Mortimer touched. "Pin your love, lest you lose it." She stays still, watching Feldspar's reaction.

Jorin considers the cards, and Mary's lack of pronouncement.  He leans in and points to the fire, "The fire is clear, it is the forge, foundation of my life.  The knights, they could be two things.  They could be battle, honorable, glorious battle, which I delight in.  And, placed with the highest number, could also mean that is my fate.  They could also represent the arms and armor that I am to smith for my tribe and so could mean my fate is, as it has always been, with my tribe."  

He leans back in his chair and adds, "The clouds, I know not.  They of the sky and I am of the earth."