The fish and chili sauce is probably a bit of an acquired taste, but isn't very 'fishy', coming across more as salty and savory, with a bit of kick of heat to it. You wrap up your mean in companionable conversation or quiet as is your preference, Uncle Polder reclining in his chair. "Well, thank you again for helping run off those coyotes. Anything else I can help you with if you're heading deeper into the Rattle to sort things out?"

Trencher is happy with having warm food and eats his fill happily.  “Thanks for the meal,” he states with a bit of the meal still in his beard.  “But e need to move on will we still have lots of daylight.”

 He gives Uncle Polder a firm handshake. 

Quote from Spiderwrangler >>

The fish and chili sauce is probably a bit of an acquired taste, but isn't very 'fishy', coming across more as salty and savory, with a bit of kick of heat to it. You wrap up your mean in companionable conversation or quiet as is your preference, Uncle Polder reclining in his chair. "Well, thank you again for helping run off those coyotes. Anything else I can help you with if you're heading deeper into the Rattle to sort things out?"

"Aye...what can you tell us about the Rattle," the priest of Pelor asks.

Uncle Polder regales you with stories of close calls and struggles out here in the Rattle, he seems to enjoy having an audience for his stories. By the time his tale has taken its third of fourth diversion into a potentially embellished recounting of some he knows overcoming the hardships of living in the Rattle, you get the sense that if you let him keep going, perhaps Mixtli will be getting a chance to redeem himself making dinner.

The overall sense is that life in the Rattle is tough, but those that choose make a living here and stick with it are tougher.

 Tandor nods. "OK. Where do you suggest we go next to check into this situation?"

((Sorry, end of quarter crunch got to me, and I neglected to give you all a heads up. On spring break now, but at a conference. Will have forum time in the evenings, goal would be to get things moving back and a more regular pace here.))

Uncle Polder scratches his neck in contemplation. "Well, don't know of any folks here that are acting odd... "

((Can I assume when Tandor gave the details of the events in Promise, that they included what descriptions you had of the afflicted farmers and Aunt Dellie's concerns about her niece?))

Quote from Spiderwrangler >>

((Sorry, end of quarter crunch got to me, and I neglected to give you all a heads up. On spring break now, but at a conference. Will have forum time in the evenings, goal would be to get things moving back and a more regular pace here.))

Uncle Polder scratches his neck in contemplation. "Well, don't know of any folks here that are acting odd... "

((Can I assume when Tandor gave the details of the events in Promise, that they included what descriptions you had of the afflicted farmers and Aunt Dellie's concerns about her niece?))

 ooc: Yes.

"But Kiana seemed a good kid, she's on a pact a few miles up, helped them get set up early in the season. Wasn't sure that the farming life was for her back then... but maybe she was just worried about the pact succeeding and all. Seemed like the last few months have been good for her though, she and some of her folk came to trade for tools a few weeks back, she seemed to be fitting in. Had a friend coming to join her soon, think she said... What she say his name was? *Tsk* Cain't 'member. Must be liking the life, if she's talking folks into joining her, right? Don't think those other folks you mentioned, the ones with the red eyes, don't think they were hers though, From farther along the Rattle, I think."

"Thank you for the information, we better head further into the Rattle now." Mixtli thanks Uncle Polder.

Tandor nods his thanks as well.

"Alright then." Uncle Polder slaps his knees and stands up. "You all be safe out there, feel free to stop for a chat on your way back through!"

As you get around and depart, he calls out to you, "Oh, think it was Culley that was joinin' her pact. That woulda bugged me if I couldn't recall."

"Culley, okay, thank you" Mixtli calls out.

Trencher smiles and nods, giving the farmer a hearty handshake for a goodbye.

Once outside, "Let us get moving, I am ready to get further into the wilderness and see what the druids need."

"Culley? Did he say Culley?", asks Proclaimer Ward as the wagon trundles along.

"Kiana had a childhood friend named Culley who drowned. I added his story to the Awakening Song. I'm not aware of another Culley. Uncle Polder must have misheard."

((I know it's been months, but Culley was mentioned by Aunt Dellie in regard to the sketch that was found.))

"Yeah I guess so, but if not that might be even more worrisome." Mixtli says. "Let's get going, we need to find out what is going on here."

Amid growing concern, you continue onward in in the wagon. Within a few miles, the open fields have all but vanished behind sparse woods at the far edge of the Rattle. The air smells stagnant and carries the taste of metal. Through the trees, multiple small farmhouses hunch amid a patch of green fields.

Suddenly the ground begins to shake, causing the road ahead to ripple, but just as quickly as it started, the shaking fades away.

"Are earthquakes normal to the Rattle?" Mixtli asks without worry in his voice, used to earthquakes on his vulcanic home, but knowing this wouldn't be normal everywhere.

Lady Dre has pulled on the reins to slow the wagon as the earth shakes, and there is a nervous stamping of hooves. "No, not to my knowledge.", she replies.

"I know that farmers have had to deal with bulettes occasionally...", says Proclaimer Ward, chewing at their lower lip.

ooc: Were we at the farmer's house for an hour? Long enough to get a short rest?

Tandor starts at the mention of bulettes. Dangerous beasts, those. With a couple of thoughts, he dismissed Tandor then re-summons the feline familiar to his shoulder.

((Yep, can have short rested.))