Quillary kept to her strange dirt-eating ritual the night before, and slept again on the floor of whatever room she shared. In the morning, she rises early, perhaps woken by Jorin's "stealthiness," and goes down to rinse her mouth with clean water. When he returns with the ale, she is sitting in the common room, lighting and snuffing a candle with her magic, over and over again. She starts at Jorin's return.

"Oh... Jorin of the Bodt. Breakfast ale is a tremendous idea. You are a good host." (Her passive perception is good...) "Have you carved yourself overnight? How do the Bodt mark themselves? Is it a... a squinty dwarf, with the beard?" She holds her fingers up to her chin, pointing down like a beard.

Drusk sits down next to Quillary. He speaks quietly to her, so he thinks it won't be overheard. Unfortunately, his stealthiness is at the same level as Jorin.

"So it was a squinty dwarf. I was thinking it had to be something else, but I couldn't think of anything else that looks like that."

The group has been downstairs close to an hour before Hildigrim comes down. His nose is in a book he brought up from the stacks below the library. Once he gets to the table, he puts the book away, climbs into a seat, and looks around expectantly. "What's for breakfast?" he asks.

Pascal busts down the door, “Bonjour, mes ami!” Pascal hefts around a huge plate of hash and various salted meats, “Course y’all oughta know that ol’ Pascal brought some o’ the comforts of Waterdeep to these unfamiliar woods! Now, who ready for some o’ my cookin’?”

Hildigrim rubs his hands together, a big grin on his face. He suddenly stops and looks around the table.

Is Seren with them?

Seren is the last one down the stairs. She looks disheveled, eyes red and puffy from crying, and not entirely focused. She wearily looks around, then looks more intently at the plate of food in front of her. Then all of you notice that your plates look funny.

Pascal has made an excellent, simple meal, but the food has been plated and arranged to form words. Words like: eye, blood, vengeance, fey, shadows, veiled. Pascal is no longer carving those words from yesterday (post 1707, at the end), but it still seems to be in his thoughts. At the same time, all of you remember that your sleep was disturbed by dreams, with those same words being repeated over and over, along with visions of dark woods and vague figures whispering chants.

Now that you remember the dreams, those words are like an annoying song that you can't get off your mind. You feel like they wouldn't bug you so much, if only you understood more of what it meant.

Seren points out that the outpost has quite a few books in the library. Maybe after breakfast, you all might be able to find some answers?

Hildigrim looks from plate to plate, scowling at the words. "Fascinating," he says. He looks at Seren. "Yes, it is always a good idea to seek answers in a library."

After eating, before the group leaves the inn, Hildigrim offers Seren back her bow. "Thank you for permitting me to use your bow. This is a fine weapon, and I'm positive it helped us immensely."

Pascal squints at the words, then looks up, “So, that’s probably a problem. We oughta look into that.”

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

After eating, before the group leaves the inn, Hildigrim offers Seren back her bow. "Thank you for permitting me to use your bow. This is a fine weapon, and I'm positive it helped us immensely."

Seren looks vacantly at the bow for a few seconds. "The short bow was meant to be a gift for my son. As was the silvered hand axe." (takes a deep breath) "I no longer want them."

"You may keep them." (gets a determined look on her face) "But there is a price, something I'd like in return... The ritual from yesterday gave relief to the poor souls that used to live here. But the source of the curse, of this Howling Disease, is still out there. If it is in your power... find that source. If it is a thing, destroy it. If it is a group, crush it; a person, slay them... Make a vow to do what you can to end this evil, and those weapons can aid your cause."

Prior to Seren coming down...

Jorin rubs a hand over the mark and then chuckles when Quillary and Drusk suggest its a squinty dwarf. "No, no.  Not a squinty Dwarf, though that is a good guess indeed.  It is a godsmark, drawn by the finger of the eight as i slept last night. They are telling me my task is not yet finished.  There is still more for me to do before going home."

After Seren comes down...

Jorin also thanks Seren for the silvered handaxe and comments on it's quality.  He eagerly eats Pascal's amazing breakfast and when the revelation of the night's dreams comes out he says, "This must be my next task, as set before me by the eight."  He looks at the words on the plates and quickly adds, "We will need to take care of this before re-opening the inn."

Quillary, who has been sort of spacey and pre-occupied, picking at her prophecy-food, snaps to attention at Seren's request. "I'll not vow, elf mother, but I will see this done. As I approached the veil in my dreams last night, I saw that the crossing is... under siege. I would see the border opened again, that souls might cross freely." She sort of ducks her head and says quietly, "In either direction." Then she says some things to herself in her private language while looking at her lap.

OOC > If someone picked up Primordial at level, or Seren knows it, you should tell me.

Hildigrim looks at Seren intently as she speaks. When she is done expressing her demand request, he nods with a stern look on his face and replies, "It will be done, m'lady." He stows the weapon and looks around the table. "Let us adjourn to the library." He picks up the book he had placed beside his plate, hops down from his chair, and heads for the library.

Drusk says, "Please wait a minute." He is not about to leave, while there is still Pascal's cooking remaining on his plate! (wolfs it down)

The party arrives in the library. Seren will spend her time organizing the books on the shelves that fell over, and getting the texts from downstairs (that weren't ruined by melted wax and dripping water).

Hildigrim grabs a parchment from the guard station, finds a clear area, and writes down the prophecy.

Hildigrim (passive Investigation 16) and Quillary (passive Perception 16) brainstorm ideas. They identify 5 key terms:

1. “An eye turns in the mist” - seems to be a metaphor or a reference to something supernatural.
2. “dark blood” - likely about the Tribe of the Black Blood, the were-gang that attacked Seren in the woods.
3. “noblest fey” - implies that the fey are involved.
4. “endless shadows” - seems to be a reference to a specific menace or a foretelling of doom.
5. “veiled lands” - seems to indicate a specific place, perhaps one that is commonly hidden or cloaked in fog.

There are 5 of you, and 5 subjects to be researched! Everyone pick a number for the term/phrase you are researching, then make a pair of checks:

1. Religion & History (one roll for each)
2. Religion & History
3. History (twice)
4. Arcana & History
5. Religion & History

Drusk will pick last, but suggests that he does 1, 2, or 5, which might involve Religion.

Jorin will pick item 3.

History x2 11 12

“I was never good at the study of books,” Quillary complains, with a longing look out one of the windows.

She will take a Religion and History pair, but she will be poorly about it. She will take number 5. 

Religion: 7

History: 17

#4:

Arcana: 14

History: 7

Hoping you'll let me do this:

When he sees Pascal having trouble (assuming with this -1 to both history and religion), Hildigrim [Tooltip Not Found] the dragonborn by pointing out some books he noticed that might be good.

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

Hoping you'll let me do this:

When he sees Pascal having trouble (assuming with this -1 to both history and religion), Hildigrim [Tooltip Not Found] the dragonborn by pointing out some books he noticed that might be good.

(OOC: Not for this situation... There will be chances later to get any information the party does not get now.)

I’ll show you! Also, I’m a lizardfolk!

History: 16

Religion: 16

Quote from JcAndD >>

I’ll show you! Also, I’m a lizardfolk!  History: 19

(You can decide how Pascal reacts to Hildigrim trying to halfling-explain the books to Pascal. Hopefully with amusement rather than resentment.)

With Pascal taking the first phrase, Drusk will check the books for "dark blood" references.

History: 15,  Religion: 14

1. Pascal is unable to find out exactly what the "Eye in the Mist" is, but he discovers that it is tended by the druid Llyneth. He is able to find other documents that describe her as a quiet woman, who recently assumed stewardship of the "Eye".
2. Drusk confirms that "dark blood" refers to the tribe of Black Bloods, who are lycanthropes. They are a powerful faction primarily on the Moray Island (far to the west). Besides trying to sow terror, they are dedicated to bringing back Kazgoroth, to usher in an era of feasting and destruction. Kazgoroth is a primal spirit that seeks to destroy nature and slay the Earthmother.
3. Jorin proudly verifies that "noblest fey" refers to the fey... But he decides to dig a little deeper than that. Not many fey creatures inhabit the regions within reach of Waterdeep. But rumors claim there is an area somewhere in the region known as Tarthwood, which is supposed to be home to many fey, good and evil. The fairy tales also state that the most powerful fey (around here) are the leShay, the eladrin noble of Sarifal (whoever they are).
4. Hildigrim suspects that "endless shadows" is another term for the plane known as the Shadowfell, a mixture of fey and Shadows. But portals to that other realm are very rare (at least around these parts).
5. Quillary is not so interested in the religious overly-elaborate descriptions, despite the name "veiled lands" being of interest. She does find a mention of the "Veiled Forest", which is a nickname of a place called Tarthwood. The forest is supposed to be cloaked in mist that rises from the waters and bogs in the region... The captain of this outpost had a report of a few of the Tribe of the Black Blood that were captured and interrogated. They claimed to be hunting in an area called Tarthwood, although they would not reveal the location of their camp.

The party feels they did a good job of investigating. There are some details which are unclear or overlooked, but you've gotten the important bits. It is past noon, so time for lunch! Pascal does the cooking, while the others do some kitchen cleaning, and tossing out the expired breads and meats. (The skulks restocked the vegetables, so those are still very fresh.)

Seren assumes that your group is headed back to Amphail, to report what happened to this outpost and the reason for the missing cargo shipment. She plans on staying here, to give the bodies a proper burial, and to work on the outpost's defenses. She will write a report from her perspective, and asks that you deliver it to her commander (in Amphail) along with a request for reinforcements.

"If you could delay your departure until tomorrow morning, there are some tasks which would help me a great deal.

• The horses on the farm outside the outpost wall have been untended since yesterday. Quillary and Hildigrim, would you go there and take care of the animals and the farmstead?
• Jorin and Drusk, I ask that you fortify the library and inn doors, so I will have a safe place at night.
• Pascal if you could get the kitchen in better shape, I won't have to worry about running out of provisions before the reinforcements arrive. I'll be cleaning out the kitchen cellar.

"Would your group be willing to help me out for the rest of this day?"