Star Metal Marauders- Highway Harvest

You exit the cave through a large out cropping of boulders fairly high up the base of the budding mountain range. You can see a bit of the road heading further up the mountain and not far up the road what appears to be a stone structure. 
the sun is nearly set as you get the campfire and sleeping arrangements made. 
After everyone is settled about the fire a figure approaches from the road and asks to share your fire.

Bjorn gladly eats whatever the captain has prepared. He doesn't say much, but after a while he says, "Whenever you track down the lad's father, because I'm sure ye will, ye might leave out the part where the treasure chest was empty." He shrugs, seeming to consider this an appropriate substitute for a eulogy. "Man's a pirate, right? He'd probably be happier thinking there was a big haul. It would seem like, you know, it were worth it, maybe."

[Can we see the mercs and the wagon from up here?]

Sparhawk seems to have collected himself emotionally after getting the fire and food going.
He sees the stranger and whispers to Lir and Frangipani "keep your eyes open for others, someone is approaching."

"Bjorn, for some, the gold value of treasure is the main goal. However, for others, solving a mystery or releasing a spirit from eternal agony is quite satisfying. In some way, I feel we helped Sorsha as well."

(Perception as the stranger gets closer): 15

Frangipani sits upright and moves protectively in front of her companions as the figure approaches, " Maybe....depends....who are you?".

(My perception check was a 9, but I edited my post and it rerolled)

Sparhawk glances at the stranger, waves and smiles, motioning them to approach, and looks to make sure the party is in a defensible location.

Quote from ChoirOfFire >>

Bjorn gladly eats whatever the captain has prepared. He doesn't say much, but after a while he says, "Whenever you track down the lad's father, because I'm sure ye will, ye might leave out the part where the treasure chest was empty." He shrugs, seeming to consider this an appropriate substitute for a eulogy. "Man's a pirate, right? He'd probably be happier thinking there was a big haul. It would seem like, you know, it were worth it, maybe."

[Can we see the mercs and the wagon from up here?]

 You can see their fire off in the distance near the river from here, it is surprisingly far though.

Quote from shimshon123 >>

(My perception check was a 9, but I edited my post and it rerolled)

 You can’t quite tell as the strangers face is in shadow, but something about him seems familiar, the way he carries himself as he walks.

"If we're going to have to spend the night up here, can anybody send word down to Squib and Dub, tell them we're not dead?"

Bjorn sets about drying out the party's torches and boots by the fire. He's taken off most of his clothes and armor to dry, and is absently switching between illusory outfits, each one with more metallic decoration than would strictly be called tasteful.

"Who's this, a barbarian?" He squints at the stone structure beyond. "Here to scare us off from his, uh, house, perhaps?"

A familiar dwarf steps out revealing himself to be Eberk. “Don’t be scared Bjorn. I keep asking the Moonmaiden and she keeps telling me not to wallop you.”

Sparhawk looks at his friend in shock. Eberk notices the paladin looks exhausted, and at first, can't seem to find the words.

"I couldn't save him...."

He looks back at the fire, unconsciously sharpening his sword.

Vars is noticeably absent. 

"Ha! Leave it to a holy man to find us out here." Bjorn grins and tosses the weapon aside, whereupon it does a flip and scurries off into a bush. "We had to pick up a few newbies to make up for yer bein' gone. Meet Lir." He points at the druid with his thumb. "Don't let him talk yer ear off."

Lir grins too wide,  like someone who once read about smiling in a dusty tome.

Eberk nods and gives Lir a wave before looking over the group. “What happened to Vars?”

Sparhawk's first inclination was that this dwarf was the assassin. He considers Bjorn's ability to make himself look like anyone instantly.

He stands up and shakes Eberks hand in a firm grasp and looks him in the eyes.

"Vars sacrificed himself to save the whole crew, would you believe that?"

He continues to look at the dwarf, and continues to hold his arm and hand firmly. He thinks of some information that only the true cleric would know, trying to verify his identity. 
"Tell me my friend," Sparhawk smile seems strained, "when you were with us, what did you think of that cave troll we fought in this cave?" He points at the entrance.

Frangipani watches the interaction with interest, not really comprehending what is happening...

(conversation AFTER Sparhawk verifies Eberk's identity)

Sparhawk looks at the group as he continues to warm himself by the fire, caring for his weapons and armor.
"So, I"m trying to figure out this puzzle." He strokes his still broken nose.
"It seems a strange coincidence to me that Vars came upon this map of an ancient cave and underground house owned by a renowned chef with a magic spoon (He points to the spoon hanging on Frangipanis belt).
He looks at the group.  "Then, our captain suddenly departs, getting sucked up by the earth itself. How is it my friends that our captains sunken ship ends up in an enormous underwater magic fish tank that is a restaurant, guarded by a magic exploding octopus.? We find her sunken cursed ship, the Kraken, her captain tied to his seat, guarded by the mutinous skeleton crew. 

"How is all of this connected and how is it that we were drawn into this sad story?"

Frangipani shrugged......to her life was pretty much a series of unconnected random events....she didn't search for patterns or meanings...

But Sparhawk seemed to want some...and he was sad.....maybe she should have left some bits of Reginald for him so he'd feel better....

Her brain was beginning to feel hot from the thinking...

" Its probably Gods....it seems like the sort of thing Gods do.  Lir? Do you think its Gods?"

" Or the other thing.......Faith......Fart...Fate!  When random stuff happens but people want there to be a reason for it."

" Or its a really big Fiend......like what exploded that house but...smarter.....I guess thats basically a God as well...."

" Do you want me to fix your nose?"

"Fer once I agree with Frangipani. When yer lookin' at sailors and dwarves alike, those are very godly folks. They're kind of like toys for their gods to play with, and they know it, too." Bjorn resumes cooking the torches dry. "They say things like, 'o god of gods, I dedicate this ship, or this restaurant, or my newborn child, whatever, to thee,' and most of the time they even mean it."

"Probably what happened was, the sea god that owned the Kraken, lost a bet to the dwarf god that owned the restaurant, and had to turn her over as payment. And obviously all the things that belong to dwarf gods, they put em in caves."