Quote from Mingofaust >>

Nissa will sit to tea, taking enough to be polite, but not wanting to lay their larder bare. "When we were set this task by the Guard, the Nodder party was a concern, for we feared for their well being with a vicious stoat on the loose, but never were they our primary mission. That is to see to the green light on Firewatch. When we found Nodder here, we thought to send them home, but they seem reluctant. I wish to see them safe, but cannot afford them making our mission more difficult. If they have aught to add, I would hear it, but otherwise, I'd see them packed down mountain."

Eloan nods. "Did you know... I was not born with darkened eyes. I remember what it is to see, though I was very young when my sight failed me. I have lived in shadow for over twenty seasons, now..." His head turns in the direction of the Peak outside. "That is, until the light began to appear on Firewatch. Now, when it flares, I can see again. I know it sounds impossible, but it's true. Every time the light shines, I see the world around me illuminated in the purest shades of green..." He trails off, lost in thought.

He comes back to himself with a start. "I doubt very much that farmer Nodder and his companions will be dissuaded so easily. That said, I know that he is very concerned about the safety of his son..."

A creak echoes down the hallway. Sounds like someone in Nodder's party is beginning to stir. 

Quote from Thordain >>

Mazer ignores the implication, and simply replies calmly. "What do you know of the light on the peak?"

 Piper sneers. "Everything. Nothing. You guard mouses have a code of honor, right? Something about keeping your word? Promise me you'll let me go and we can talk."

Nissa thinks a moment. "We have not the resources to help him find his son, not when our charge is to investigate the green light. Do you know what drives him to do this? Do you think, Master Eloan, he might shift his energies if he knew we were dispatched specially to see to the light? That he could spend all his time hunting for his son?"

Quote from Aveiro_ >>

Quote from Thordain >>

Mazer ignores the implication, and simply replies calmly. "What do you know of the light on the peak?"

 Piper sneers. "Everything. Nothing. You guard mouses have a code of honor, right? Something about keeping your word? Promise me you'll let me go and we can talk."

 Craven stares down his nose, “Oh I be promising.”

Mazer shakes his head. Piper is not cooperating. His lack of cooperation itself means something. It means that he's not afraid of what's coming. It also means that he thinks that even alone and isolated from the others, whatever is coming will not hurt him. Mazer gives Craven a look and a nod, and then steps outside for air, leaving the two alone in the hut.

Mazer (who was already outside with Craven and Piper) steps further away from the back porch toward Nan's garden patch to give the others some "privacy".

Quote from Mingofaust >>

Nissa thinks a moment. "We have not the resources to help him find his son, not when our charge is to investigate the green light. Do you know what drives him to do this? Do you think, Master Eloan, he might shift his energies if he knew we were dispatched specially to see to the light? That he could spend all his time hunting for his son?"

Eloan shakes his head sadly. "He may... and he may not. Nodder has little love left in him for the Guard. Two daughters he had once. Two perfect twins girls who-" the tall shrew stops speaking as another creak issues from down the hall. "But such a story is not mine to tell. The peace of Enhara, of the Stone and the Sky be upon you, guardsmice." He offers a small bow and he leaves the room. After a moment (waiting to be sure that Eloan is out of earshot) the innkeeper's niece whispers. "He isn't mean, my uncle. Not really. He just doesn't like weapons, is all." 

Just then, Nodder enters the parlor. He stops short when he sees the two of you, then grunts and sits for tea without a word. 

Nissa looks to the niece and smiles at her love for the old mouse, "We are all of us somewhat more than others think."

When Nodder sits, Nissa looks to her quiet, stolid friend, and nudges him. Eli would be better at this, she feels.

The niece looks at Nissa sideways, considering, then bows and walks away.

(Take +1 ongoing for interactions with any children in Enhara, Nissa!)

"Hello Yosef. We were hoping to continue our talk from before... before the light. If there's anything you've experienced, seen, or heard, it would really help us as we continue our mission. And if you want to give me a description of your son, we'll be sure to look out for him. I have a feeling we'll cross paths with the shadow mouse again."

Craven and Piper have a... heartfelt conversation. The physicker learns an important piece of information which will be revealed before the journey up the mountain begins. 

Quote from AsbestosPenguin >>

"And if you want to give me a description of your son, we'll be sure to look out for him. I have a feeling we'll cross paths with the shadow mouse again."

 
Nodder blinks. "Aye, you said you had a run-in with that shadow demon last night, dinnya? Forgot about that in all the ruckus. I was sure as sure Rush would be here by first light, but now..." Nodder rubs his face in his paws. "Ah, sod it. Mayhap you can actually help- we tried to kill the damned thing. It popped up outta nowhere and starting asking us what a "good person" is without so much as a howdyado... Rush tried to clobber it with a rock, but it just kinda... ate it. Told Rush and Trill not to chase it, but kids, you know?"

Nodder finally meets your eye. "Me and mine need no looking after from the Guard. I 'preciate that Sef sent you lot after us, but we ken take care of ourselves. I think my adventurin' days are done. I'm gonna look round the hills here and find my boy and soon as I do we'll pack up and head back to the farm."

(You get the sense that Nodder isn't telling you something. If one of you would like to press him for more, describe how you do it and add the appropriate modifier. I think a case could be made for any stat here, depending upon how you do it. The other person can also help out to bring the total up one success level.)

Mazer, being told that Piper will cooperate, takes Craven at his word. 

Mazer decides it would be a good idea to get a sense of the town. He goes to a steelsmith, making sure his sword is sharp, and asks about getting an upgrade to his armor. If the fights they have been in are any indication, the group will need better defenses than a normal guard outfit.

Nissa takes the lead here, relying on Eli to provide some gravitas and/or "not the Black Mouse" to the argument. "Farmer Nodder," she says, gently. "I've no kin to look after, so I've no knowing of your mind, but we've been tasked to look after the whole of Loamholt on this mission." She looks him in the eye with her scarred visage. "If there's aught you're not telling us, I ask you to look past my reputation, past our uniforms, and think on the whole of the mice and shrews 'ut live on the island. Please."

This is very outside of her comfort zone, she's a loner and not much given to convincing people, but Coerce is all I got. Coerce +Mind (-1): 3

Eli sees Nissa has the situation well in hand, and just stares sternly at Yosef Nodder.

Quote from Thordain >>

Mazer decides it would be a good idea to get a sense of the town. He goes to a steelsmith, making sure his sword is sharp, and asks about getting an upgrade to his armor. If the fights they have been in are any indication, the group will need better defenses than a normal guard outfit.

 (Great!)

Mazer makes his way through Enhara to a small smithy on the edge of town. A trickle of a stream winds against its side, and a thin plume of blue smoke curls from its chimney into the mid-morning sky. You push open a cunningly crafted round wooden door to discover an enormously heavy gray squirrel. He's hunched over a cluttered workbench, gently tapping a small copper circle of something with a tiny hammer. 

His ear twitches in your direction and, without looking up, he whispers, 'Yeah, alright, how can I help you, Guardmouse?"

Quote from Mingofaust >>

This is very outside of her comfort zone, she's a loner and not much given to convincing people, but Coerce is all I got. Coerce +Mind (-1): 10

Nodder closes his eyes, then meets Nissa's and Eli's gaze steadily. "Maybe I've been a fool. Loamholt ain't small- no surprise it took you all a piece to get up here. I 'preciate that you've been through no shortage of hardship because of me." He reaches into his pocket and sets something on the table with a clunk. "This is the rock my boy used to try to kill that shadow. Something about it sets my teeth on edge. Can't imagine why you'd need it, but maybe..." He shakes his head, then pushes it across the table to you. "Anyhow, I wish you luck. I'll ask Eloan to get you all outfitted proper for the climb. Yer gonna need every edge you can get up there."

(You've obtained a stone without a shadow. You will also receive climbing equipment from Eloan, granting everyone +1 to Endure rolls to climb the Peak)

"Thank you, Yosef. You've been very brave, and we appreciate the assistance. If we do happen to see signs of Rush, we will do everything we can to help him." Eli nods once, eyes closed, in Nodder's direction, then turns his gaze, eyes open, to the shadowless rock. Eli's encounter with the shadow mouse was a different than the others, he thinks. Something didn't sit right with him, even though the creature was quite polite. 

Nissa will look at the rock but make no move to take it, looking instead towards Eli, her more... spiritual companion.

"Farmer Nodder," she says. "I will do my best to look for signs of your son before we leave, perhaps you can set out with some advantage."

The rock in Eli's possession, Nissa will take her leave and step outside. Her intent is to find a bird ride and do some scouting over the area where we saw the tracks diverge.

(alright- roll language of birds! Because we're in a low stakes situation, the outcome for a miss will be that there are no birds nearby, and won't be for the entirety of the climb)

Nissa walks to the edge of town, then out towards the trees. With some open space around her, she cups her paws and whistles.

Language of Birds (+Instinct): 5

Nissa spends over a quarter hour calling at the edge of town. Eventually, with a screech, a large blue and white bird alights on the rocky soil in front of her. Around its neck is a fine thin band of silver. 

It speaks to Nissa in a dialect she can barely understand- the birds of the mountain are a different sort, after all - but it introduces itself as Q'll.

(What do you want from the bird, Nissa? Will you ride it - risking a fall - or will you ask it to search for you?)