Reuniting the Band

Whatever effect is upon these men, other than them being confused, is unclear.  It is nothing that Erbert is familiar with at this point.  Them being ‘out of phase’ somehow seems to be a good starting point.

" I see no reason to 'take them out', they don't appear to be committing any crimes other than being under some sort of spell. How about we try talking with them instead? Perhaps help them with whatever is plaguing them. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?" He says this with a smirk and a wink.

Once they have passed, Chadwick will exit the tent when they are about 100 feet away. 

"Hello travelers, and well met! My name is Chadwick and I'm alao making my way through this area. How goes the road?"

The four men nearly jump out of their skins when Chadwick calls out to them.  They all scramble to ready their crossbows, pointing them in Chadwick's direction.

Dax calls out, "HALT!  State your name and purpose!  Why are you following us?  Who are you working for?  Where did you come from like that?..."

The second one says loud enough for you to hear, "Dax, give him a chance to answer.  He looks..."

Dax cuts him off, "Shut up!"  He then looks to you, "Well?!  Answers!"

Chadwick holds his hands up, uses his best "aw shucks" smile.

"Sorry gentlemen I tried to catch you earlier, but you seemed, um, kind in the middle of a discussion. Guess you didn't hear my earlier hails (To himself: Tyr pleas forgive this white lie, trying to keep the peace.).

Was sent to investigate the, well, for the lack of a better term, weirdness that has been going on around here. I don't really know what I'm looking for, just that things seem off. Have you experienced similar kind of things?"

Kragen peers hard at the group, then jumps at something. Mumbles something about a sigil and shinning steel, then exits the hut quickly.

Waddles up next to Chad.

"You might want to lower that crossbow, Hoid will not take kindly to you threatening his friends!" Kragen says with a stern voice.

"Now, where is that grumpy dwarf? I grew quite fond of his candor and ill demeanor." Smiles fondly looking around and past this group.

Trolkarl listening intently while recalling the party reasoning with the horse thieves and how those events quickly turned to hostility. Mortal enemies and being sorted upon periodically….surely these “gentlemen” will be more reasonable. 

Hearing Kragen mention Hoid he moves forward quickly to see if the old dwarf has gone mad. Plus it may be helpful if Chadwick gets too diplomatic. 

Starker remains in the hut, as he figures his idiosyncratic approach to diplomacy (‘fireball them from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure’) isn’t called for … yet. 

He does ponder the group’s odd appearance and phasing. Does he not recall something from an obscure text he once scanned?

Arcana = 24

What is to come

“Wha?  Oh, right. You must know them.  I thought those guys were minions from Sapos, sent here to do his dirty work.  Mess us up.  Well, right then.”   Erbert stays where he is.  And observes.  Fireball in reserve, in case it goes wrong…

The men startle again, and again, as Kragen and Trolkarl step from the sorcerous huts.  Grips tighten on crossbows and they are aimed squarely at Chadwick.  That is until Kragen speaks.

”They know the Commander, Dax!,” the third one says.

”Shut up, Peek!  Don’t give them information,” the first interjects.

The fourth scowls at you and Dax calls out, “If you know Hoid, and I doubt you do, describe him to me.”  All take defensive stances and spread out a bit.

They continued to have jerks and pauses to their movements.  Although their speech sounds normal, their lip movements do not match.  It is odd to observe.