Gerrard:

”Peasant!?!” responds Gerrard, his concentration diverted from the fleeing bat.  “No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses,” he thinks, physically pained by Kei’s derision.

Too late he looks back at the sky and realizes the bat is gone.  Cursing, he says, “D**mn it man, what are you playing at?!” as he sees the guard and townsfolk approaching.  He sighs and puts away his bow as he strides over just in time to hear Peri’s question.

Taking the paper from the guard, he nods his thanks and looks at the paper as he marvels at the sheer number of people in Saltmarsh missing limbs.

Calming down somewhat, he answers the man with the lantern, saying, “The undead named himself Bela, and as Master Fenwader says, he appears to be aided by a one-legged man and possibly these jackals nearby.  If he spoke truly, the remaining kidnapped children are being taken to the Dreadwood.”

Noticing Boko looking for tracks, he asks, “Mistress Boko, did they leave a trail?  Is there evidence of tracks from the kids or a one-legged man?”

Gerrard peeks at the rumpled parchment:

Gerrard:

Snorting at the flowery language and some of the references to his companions in the letter, Gerrard says, “Thank you,” to the guard, putting it away to discuss with his friends later.

He waits to see the reactions to his statement and question, torn between chasing after the bat and jackals right now, or perhaps investigating the cellar where the vampire had laired for clues.

Since the others are not concerned about Kei and his behavior, Qivys takes a few steps away from Kei but still maintains watching the bard. 
"Not sure what ya got a mind ta do" Qivys says. "But  I don't think we're in any shape ta track down a vampire let alone anythin' else. Ya best report ta Farbern on what we found an' let them sort out what needs ta be done." 
Qivys pauses then states:
"I ain't too shur tha bard is gonna come out smellin' like roses fer this though." 

Boko turns to Gerard and the others. “I can follow the tracks on all fours and attempt to find answers, if this situation… situations… may be able to hold for ten minutes? I will not be gone longer.”

Unless someone objects, she casts speak with animals as she walks into the darkness following the tracks, and then once she is out of visual range of the new arrivals, she shifts to become a jackal herself and follows the tracks in the snow. If jackals really don’t have darkvision she keeps the goggles of night on as she shifts and uses them to see in the dark. She attempts to speak with the jackals again if she finds them. She does not want to be gone more than 10 minutes. 

If there is a way to find answers and perhaps take potential problems off her growing list, she figures ten minutes is worth it. She’s not worried about a pack of jackals taking her out - she can turn into a giant octopus or scorpion or even a direwolf if she needs toZ

Kei 

As the bat disappears from sight a sudden calmness washes over him. As if waking from a dream he looks around in a haze. Gerrard is scowling at him. Qivys grumbles something about roses. Boko has run off into the woods. And Peri, well there's steam drifting off his head. "Guess everythings moving along as normal" he muses to no one in particular. After a moment he glances around a little confused. "When did they get here?" He thumbs towards the mob. He rubs the back of his head in confusion.

Peri:

Ah well, there's that cat outta the bag then. Now they've heard their kids are in the Dreadwood with a vampire, I don't think we'll get anything more out of them. Peri walks away from the gaggle and says quietly, "I think we need to talk to the one-legged priest who had us pull that silver pole out of the sea. Might be it has nothin' to do with this, but it's queer timin', is it not?"

Boko begins to track the jackals. Four sets of tracks, easy to follow in the snow, even in the dark. They lead up the rocky beach a short distance, away from town, and then up a thin switchbacked trail up the side of the sandy, weedy cliff. It continues inland, heading north. They moved quickly, and are no longer visible. They have vanished into the desolate moors to the north, leaving a clear trail behind them (albeit one that is slowly being erased by the falling snow.)

Meanwhile, the group of locals pleads with the rest of the party.
"The Dreadwood?" the man replies with horror. 
"We have t' follow. Tonight." responds the lantern woman with steel in her voice. "We have t' get th' children back. You strangers have t' help too. You woke it – ye' gotta help us get th' kids back. I'll kill Granny myself if I have to."

Gerrard:

While Boko is tracking, Gerrard says, "Let me go check Bela's lair for clues."  He looks to Qivys and says, "Can you tell if Master Kei has regained his senses?"  Then he heads into the cellar, drawing his weapon to better shed light into it.

Perception in the cellar:  6

At the lantern woman's request, Gerrard says, "We are tired from a long mission already, but I would not leave your children to their fate without doing our best.  There is yet hope we can catch them in-transport before they enter the forest--if we move quickly...There is a bloody rag here--do you have any tracking dogs capable of following this scent?  The vampire had it wrapped around his leg."

As an aside to Peri, Gerrard quietly says, "Did he look familiar to you?  The golden locket from the ogre cave had a picture in it that looked like an older version of Bela."

Gerrard:

"Wait a moment, I think Winston recognized the picture from the locket--that may be useful!  What did he call that man...?" Gerrard says as he tries to remember what Winston said.

Intelligence Check to remember:  16

OOC:  I don't think we established what Gerrard did with the picture after he took it out of the locket to put in his own.  Does he still have the picture?

Boko goes 5 minutes after the tracks and then returns to the group after the ten full minutes. Shifting back to herself before getting in sight of the townsfolk. She didn’t see any bipedal tracks out there did she? Of kids?

Kei 

As Gerrard struts off towards the cellar Kei shoots a quick "Master Kei is right here and can hear you!" Then to Qivys "What does he mean 'regained his senses'? It's not like I've done anything out of the ordinary". He either has no memory of the recent events or is blatantly lying about the incident with Gerrard.

When his noble colleague mentions yet another mission to help the thankless folk of Saltmarsh he let's out an audible sigh. 

Boko sees nothing bipedal in the way of tracks. Just four sets of jackal prints leading north through the snow into the scrubby moors.

Gerrard sees little of interest in the cellar hole. It smells like death, and is well-worn, tidy, and empty.

(The tiny painting of Xolec, he recalls, is still in the locket, under the new painting of Gerrard. It was difficult to remove, so it was covered, instead. It was last seen in the hands of Gerrard's cousin Elwood. He remembers the name "Xolec", however.)

"Dogs? I gotta dog," offers the torch lady. "He can smell anything. I'll go get him! Don't leave without me." She turns to head back into the village.

Gerrard:

Remembering the name Winston gave to the man in the picture, Gerrard calls out, “Does the name Xolec mean anything to anyone?  A noble who lived perhaps a hundred years ago? This vampire bears a striking resemblance to that man.  Perhaps if there is a family estate near Dreadwood that is the vampire’s destination…”

Peri:

He shakes his head sadly. "Unless her dog can fly, I don't see it trackin' down that bat. And the kids have been missin' for what -- two days now? They're well into the forest. I'm afraid they're gone, and nothin' we can do about it. Sorry, but a handful of adventurers can't solve all the problems these folk have left festerin' for decades."

"Speakin' of which, where was the girl buried? Someone probably needs to do somethin' to keep her from turnin' vampire too."

"Lord Xolec? The death mage? My grandfather talked about him. He ruled this whole region I guess," replies the man. "Bad times. I don't know exactly where his castle was, but I expect somewhere up by the Dreadwood."

"The girl was buried this afternoon up in the graveyard," replies the guard to Peri. "The kids vanished yesterday afternoon."

"Well I'm going after them tonight," announces the knife lady. "Maybe you all need your beauty sleep but I'm not leaving my daughter out there for another night. If they're being taken to th' Dreadwood then that's where I'm going."

Just then the torch lady returns with a small, white, overweight, elderly-looking dog, with a yellowish stain across its face as though it had been smoking too many cigars. "Meet Puddles," she says. It barks viciously at Qivys' beard.

Seeing the old woman and her mad dog, Qivys sighs. 
"it's best ya tell yer Watch Leader about this all and let him make a decision on what ta do next." he tells the group that joined their party. "I'm gonna go an' try ta find a spot ta lay my head an' get some rest." 
Qivys turns to Gerrard.
"I will see ya in tha mornin'. I'm headin' ta tha Goat ta find a bunk." 
Qivys waits a moment for a response, if any, then heads out. 

Gerrard:

”I completely understand, Master Qivys.  Is there a way you or the others can contact me in the morning from a distance, or at least find my location?” asks Gerrard.

To the guard and the woman with the dog, he says, “I know we have little time to waste, but let us stop by and retrieve my horse and inform Farbern of what we have learned as Master Qivys suggests.  I am just too tired to walk through another night, but on my horse I can hopefully get some rest as we follow the tracks.”

Peri:

His jaw hangs open in disbelief, eyes wide. His mouth works silently for a moment before he can remember how to speak. But remember he does, and a tirade pours out. "No! Are you crazy? Is there somethin' in that cellar stealin' people's senses? No! You're not goin' off alone and exhausted into a place called 'The Dreadwood', with the gods alone know what kinda horrors creepin' around, to try to follow a bat! Whaddya think you're gonna accomplish? A song-worthy death? Are three kids -- possibly already dead -- more important than your 'noble duty' to this kingdom?" Peri throws up his hands in exasperation. '"Well go ahead then! I'm not gonna wrestle you to the ground to stop you!"

His voice lowers from an angry rant to a quieter, but no less intense, growl. "But know this: I'm not gonna go lookin' for you tomorrow. If you choose to ride off alone, don't expect rescue, or for anybody to come retrieve your body." He turns to stomp away, but spins back around, this time pleading. "Look, you can't do anything tonight. You don't have any idea where you're going, you can't track worth a damn -- you can't even see in the dark! If by some stroke of ill luck you do manage to catch up to that thing it'll tear you to pieces, the condition you're in! Let's wait here for Boko to get back -- maybe she's learned somethin' useful from those jackals? We can get some rest, borrow, buy, or steal some horses, and chase after 'em at first light! I'll follow you all the way to this 'Death Mage's' castle, only give us a night to gather our strength. Give us at least a chance of success!" He stares into Gerrard's eyes, face a mask of earnest pleading.

Gerrard:

Hearing the sense in Peri’s words, Gerrard says, “I hate to admit it, but you are right.  Riding off into the night after these jackals—even assuming they are going to the same place as the children were taken—or trying to track the vampire’s scent is unlikely to be fruitful.”

Turning to the guard, he adds, “Let us report to your superiors what we have found—perhaps someone will know where this old castle is and we can ride to it first thing in the morning.”

To the man with the sword and the woman with the lamp and dog, he says, “I am truly sorry, but I fear my friends are right.  Our best chance to save your children is to set out in the morning well-rested and armed with whatever information you and/or the guards can learn tonight.  If you really want to help us, take this and see if you can get us a map with directions to the most likely site for Xolec’s castle. That will save us time in the morning and we can leave with the dawn.”  Gerrard gives her a handful of coins (10 gp) if she will take it to accomplish this task tonight.

”Let’s go to the tower, make our report, and ensure our horses are ready for the morning.  Then I will go get a good night’s sleep and meet you early in the morning at the stable,” says Gerrard, indeed looking almost too tired to stand.