(Whoa.)

(Well, there are no automatic successes or failures in these checks. And technically I should ask for disadvantage... but some food in her belly has Quillary feeling sharp at the moment, despite her fatigue.)

Quillary only:

PS - I assume Hildi has shared what he learned, back when we were all at the house? If not, Quillary just keeps eating. But if so...

Quillary swallows her mouthful, then clears her throat noisily. "Sorry," she says, "Frog." Then she pulls off her hat, reaches in and pulls out a frog. She smiles widely and raises her eyebrows. Having masterfully disarmed any tension, she says (still holding the frog), "We are on the trail of an evil person, perhaps a necromancer, who has set up a cult nearby. Our sources say he is capturing travelers, and that he has set up in an old ruin. We are here with the intent of stopping them. If you know of these ruins, please tell."

(Keep in mind that you are new in the village, aggressive looking, and Fargo considers you as customers in his tavern.
If you are expecting him to bare his soul to complete strangers, you'll have to give a good argument, then make a Persuasion check.
Or you can be more forthcoming and see how he reacts.)

Old Fargo is amused by the frog, but then turns grim at the words of Quillary.
"That sounds very serious... Aha, earlier you were looking for Faerl? You are mistaken. He may be an annoying, stuck-up SOB (son of a bulette), but he has never shown any power, let alone necromancy. His ambition is to stay as a lackey to that egotistical rich man, not become a cult leader."

Hildigrim's eyes dance back and forth between those who are talking. He occasionally tries to swallow in time to add his two cents, but as others continue the conversation, he fills his mouth again.

Quillary snorts in agreement. "That elf is a... I have heard the term lickspittle? It is his master we seek," she leans closer, but doesn't lower her voice because poor self awareness, "Lord Viallis. He left his wife, children, and servants dead by his own hand, left to wander near the Veil, no longer able to feel warmth, or love, only anger, and sorrow, and pain. Sarah came to us, one of his servants, her life after death stolen from her by this... man, this creature Viallis, she unable to even remember who she was until we found a fragment of her soul where she had hidden it in a book..." Quillary's eyes have grown distant, and suspiciously shiny. "She had a lover, she had a life, she was beautiful and young and funny and did not deserve to die this way... none of us did..." She sniffles, and while her gaze does not return to the table, her brows sharpen. "This creature took her life so that his might not end, and we would put an end to his evil."

She blinks, and focuses on Old Fargo. "We would give the souls he has violated the rest we all deserve, however violent our deaths. Will you not help us?"

Background > Haunted One > Heart of Darkness
Those who look into your eyes can see that you have faced unimaginable horror and that you are no stranger to darkness. Though they might fear you, commoners will extend you every courtesy and do their utmost to help you. Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, they will even take up arms to fight alongside you, should you find yourself facing an enemy alone.

Jorin looks puzzled and alarmed, "Son of a bulette, foul sorcery indeed!"

Old Fargo to Jorin: "Not literally a son of a bulette. That was just an expression."

After that, he is captivated by Quillary's haunted eyes and her passionate speech.
(OOC: DM inspiration if you don't already have it.)

Fargo has a genuine look of horror on his face. He keeps his voice down so he won't be overheard by other tables:
"I've distrusted that Viallis since he moved to the village, but it was only a gut feeling he was a bad sort. Nothing like the crimes you just said.

"I beg of you to rescue my son from Viallis’s grasp, before anything foul happens to him.
"Viallis uses his wealth to impress people, and in turn they flatter him. On the surface he appears to be charismatic, but he is only a collector of sycophants. My son, Fargo the Younger, was blinded by his fame and fortune. He left a month ago to work on Viallis' estate, and  I haven’t seen him since. The lickspittle, as you say, turn me away when I've tried to visit.

"Here are the directions to the stone tower that Viallis is using for his estate. It is an hour's march away from here.
"If there is some other way I can help, say it. I would fight to get my son back, but my old bones would only be a liability to stop that villain."

"There are four men in Faerl's home, and Faerl himself, defeated and bound.  They had come to stop us, and found we were more than their match.  Are there others in the town that might go looking for them?  They are bound securely and would not be escaping without help."

Old Fargo mulls over Jorin describing the subdued cultists/goons.
"Finish your meal. After that, if you have enough energy left for a short walk, we should visit Mayor Kara Firenni. Her house is the big one on the hill, on this side of the river."

(#2 on the map in post 5330. I'll wait to see if this course of action is okay with the party.)

Quillary nods, dropping the food she was eating. (You guys all know she barely eats, and you’ve only seen her even make a pretense of it in social eating situations, like this one.) “I am ready.”

Jorin looks at Quillary, then his remaining food, then Quillary again, then stuff the entirety of what remains in his mouth and says something unintelligible, yet also affirmative.

Hildigrim actually stops chewing when Fargo the Younger's story is divulged. Just like Jorin, the halfling wolfs down the rest of his supper. After swallowing and wiping his mouth with the back of his arm, Hildigrim asks, "Sir, what can you tell us of the house on the hill south of Faerl's home?"

As the party is walking out the door, Old Fargo responds to Hildigrim's question.

"That is the house that Viallis bought when he first moved to the village. As more work was done at that ruined tower away from town, he spent more and more time there, less and less here. Over the past month or two, hmm... I can't recall ever seeing him in the village during that time."

(OOC: If you are thinking about searching it, remember that most of the party will have disadvantage on their check rolls. You may want to wait until the morning for any serious activities.)

(so we're off the see the Mayor then, i think?)

You head up the hill to the largest building in the village. There is a lantern hung on a post by the garden at the side of the house. You see a middle-aged human, wearing her hair in a short pony-tail. Despite it being night, she is busy pulling out weeds. She looks stessed out, and as tired as your party (except for Jorin, who is still feeling spritely).

Old Fargo: "Hail Kara... I mean, Madam Mayor. Shouldn't you be doing gardening during the day?"

Kara Firenni: "I would, if it wasn't for all those mayor duties. Meetings running over, people bursting into the office needing something done right away... You've come with strangers. Is there something on your mind?"

Old Fargo: "These four visitors have come from Waterdeep. Introductions came come later. I think you should hear what they have to say, right away. The news is... disturbing."

(OOC: If you don't feel like typing the same conversation over again, let me know that your characters are repeating what was said in The Bulging Cauldron. Or if you wanted to modify the conversation, or are in the mood to be dramatic, speak up.)

Quillary (who quietly let her frog loose in a ditch on the walk here) will step right up and lay on the pathos (not an act, she really is haunted) like she did in the tavern. Her spores leak out in long tendrils from her around feet, curling through the plants.

Jorin will help the mayor pull weeds while Quillary is speaking.  He is surprisingly dexterous at this task.

Drusk will help Jorin on the weeding.
Jorin Nature check (with adv for Help): 12 

Perhaps it is all the meal times listening to Pascal talk at length about using vegetables in his cooking.
Or maybe the recent events dealing with death and suffering have made Jorin want a moment to reconnect with the earth and cultivated plants.

At first the mayor tries to stop these strangers from pulling out plants from her painstakingly raised garden, but Jorin is nimbly avoiding stepping on the carrots and tomato plants. (Drusk is clumsier, but carefully following Jorin's footsteps.) They are able to rip out some deep-rooted weeds and thorny brambles that were frustrating Kara. This relieves some of the mayor's stress... but only for a moment.

Although initially distracted by the weeding, the mayor gets caught up in Quillary's sermon. At the start she is confused, but then concerned, and then conflicted.

Kara: "I barely know Viallis, as the noble keeps to himself and only infrequently visits the village by the time I became mayor. But I have been troubled by this obsessive following he created, having attracted many admirers who now live in and around the village. I didn't know the full extent of his activities... and you say he and his followers are responsible for the increasing number of travelers disappearing along the Trade Way?

"I had convinced myself that my misgivings were due to my fight with my sister, Yaeda. Two months ago, she fell under Viallis’s sway, spending her time talking about what a magnificent and handsome man he was. When I asked her if she was getting romantically involved with this man that she barely knew, she accused me of being jealous and trying to control her. Yaeda moved to the noble’s “new estate” (the ruin tower). I have kept my distance, to give her time to realize her mistake and come back, but if she is in danger there is no more time.

"Please, promise me that you will find her and bring her back, even if she resists. I'll take responsibility for whatever you need to do... within reason, of course. If you can find more evidence, and stop this evil cult, I will find some way to reward your group."

She sighs at the work she will still have to do tonight.
"I will go to the sheriff and a deputy who is not under Viallis's influence. We will get Faerl and the others into the jail, and out of sight. When you go from the village to the ruins, I recommend using this path that I am drawing. It is slightly longer, but avoids the houses of people likely to spy for Viallis.

"After you are prepared, you will have to be swift. It is well known that Faerl planned to audit businesses in Waterdeep tomorrow, so his absence is expected while he travels. But if he is still missing the day after, word will surely get back to Viallis. You need to break up his cult, before his well-connected allies act politically to stop any investigation. I also dread what will happen to people like my sister and Fargo's son, if Viallis decides to erase any evidence."

(OOC: Checking if there is more to be done this night.
Otherwise, you can head back to the tavern, and get a Long Rest to remove the level of exhaustion and reset all your abilities.)

Hildigrim gives the mayor a deep bow. "We will do our best to undo the evil and return the innocent," he says solemnly.

Ready to sleep.