"Shem, my boy, you have added a significant piece to the puzzle. Those Pike brothers were indeed acting strangely. We don't know why but your account helps. If you think of anything else before we head out, please let me know. And take good care of these horses."

Rixton pats Knickerboxer on his muscular shoulder and then heads out to find the other Crimson Jackals.

"A giant, you say?" Jheric had expected a bit of wilderness and frontier, but not the myriad of threats described, especially a giant. However, terrible as they were, a singular brute could be felled by proper coordination of numbers, "Traipsing about, but a short walk from here. Next thing you know, cattle will come missing, then it may grow so bold as to just stroll up and demand tribute. Who can I talk to about this? I've got a few acquaintances in town with me, and we can likely remedy the issue."

"That's a fact," responds the carpenter to Jheric. "A hill giant is no friend to anyone. The one to talk to is Tamalin, proprietor of the inn. She's the law in the Horns. Put a small band of deputies together too, for when trouble arises."

"Ha! I just came from there! I'll go talk to her now. When - perhaps 'if' - we come back through, I'll be sure to stop by for whatever services you can provide. Information should never be free, and should be repaid whenever given."

Jheric rushes off back to the inn to meet with the others. "When we finish with official business, we need to find someone by the name of 'Tamalin'. Apparently she's got some word of a giant roaming about. Could be dangerous, but I think several of us working together can make it work."

(Advancing the story to the group's meeting with Renna; not ignoring or overlooking the possibility of a conversation with Tamalin, the proprietor of the inn, which can by played out afterward if deemed necessary)

An hour or so after sundown, Renna exits the inn, walks across the open area near the well, and approaches the group. As promised, she carries a bottle of wine in one hand; in her other is a stack of tin cups. "Good evening, friends. Old Tamalin dismissed me a bit early when I told her a few friends of mine from my days in Beliard had stopped in to pay a visit," she says with a slight wink. 

Mola drops down from a lower branch and stands slowly, right in front of Renna. "Hello, thank you for meeting us, and for the wine. Should we be concerned about being overheard? Seems not, but this is your town. We just traveled from, well, you probably know, and I'm guessing you have an idea as to why. We'd love to hear about your two visitors from a couple weeks back and what happened there, if you've the mind to tell us the tale."

"Yes, Hadrus intimated that I could expect to see a few faction members in the days to come, " she replies. "And, yes, I'm wholly confident of our privacy."

Renna then succinctly gives the chronology of her interaction with the Pikes:

• Ten days ago, on the evening of the 6th of Flamerule, she was doing her usual work in the Calling Horns Inn, when she first saw the Pikes (although she did not know their names at the time). Taking notice of them wasn't difficult because both showed clear signs of being wounded recently: bruises, scrapes, and cuts. Furthermore, one of them had a Harper pin clearly within view. They weren't friendly, but they weren't rude. "Quiet mostly. But when they spoke, they did so in such a strange way...as if they were carefully choosing their words, if that makes any sense. They ate a meal and drank a few ales; nothing out of the ordinary."
• Curious about who these two Harpers might be, she followed them out of Calling Horns early the next morning. "Spying on one of our own is frowned upon, I know. But there was just enough of the peculiar about those two that I could not ignore. Something seemed amiss; so I kept a safe distance in a safe form, so to speak, and trailed them for an hour or so as they headed northeast into the Evermoors. They met up with four members of the Tree Ghosts and chatted in a language I have never heard. And, no, it wasn't Bothii (the Uthgardt tongue), for I've heard enough of that to recognize it. Thirty minutes later, and a bit farther to the northeast, the Pikes and the Tree Ghosts ambushed a dozen orcs from the Tribe of the Hand. Three Tree Ghosts were slain, and so too were nine of the orcs. The leader of the Tree Ghosts--the one who spoke with the Pikes--fled the battlefield. The Pikes, both wounded badly, were bound and taken away by the orc survivors. I knew where they were going--I know the place the Hand calls home; so I didn't follow. I went straight to Hadrus." 
• She left immediately for Yartar, arriving there on the 10th of Flamerule, to report what she had seen to Hadrus, who told her to return to Calling Horns as quickly as possible. 

"You should have made contact," Rixton says, standing in the shadows of the tree 15 or so feet away. "They clearly were not acting themselves and it would have been nice to know why. Can you recall even a single word they spoke in that unusual language? Maybe something they repeated a few times?"

Gwin shoots a disapproving glance at the half-elf. You must excuse my companion. I COULD say he doesn't mean to be so condescending but that would be a fabrication. I do share his curiosity over the unusual language, though. I'm also interested in how they spoke to you. How did you put it? As if they were carefully choosing their words? Is it possible they were speaking to you in some form of code? You might not have thought so in the moment, but with the benefit of hindsight it's possible. Given they had their pin clearly in view leads me to believe they were leaving bread crumbs, so to speak.

"More like they were careless," Rixton says. "I suspect...they were not in control of their own selves."

Renna's expression sours a bit at Rixton's suggestion of making contact with the Pikes. "Possibly. But surely you see the conundrum. On one hand, I see suspicious behavior. On the other, I'm conditioned to trust the Harpers. What's done is done, but now I will help in whatever manner seems fitting."

She sips a bit of wine and stares into the darkness. "I'm not sure. maybe the word irich....or possibly it was viritch...that's the only thing that sticks in my mind."

Renna then turns her attention to Gwin. "Yes, allowing me--and possibly others--to see the pin was either careless or intentional. If they were using code, then it was beyond me at that time and still is at this moment." 

Looking at Rixton again, Renna says, "Under a trance, you think?"

(History checks: Gwin 20 | Jheric 18 | Mola 9 | Rixton 16)

(The word "irich" or "viritch" is foreign to all of you)

"Trance, magical domination, a geas, or...perhaps an intellect devourer. I don't know. Maybe they were made undead in some fashion. I hope it is a mere magical effect and nothing more...."

Mola pays attention to every word Renna says as she recounts the tale. He gratefully accepts the tin cups and he occupies himself with pouring and serving Rixton, Gwin, Jheric, and Renna. He doesn't really react to the exchange about how Renna treated the Pikes. After the wave of conversation passes, and Mola's taken a few sips, he pipes up.

"Thank you, Renna. I'm grateful for the new information, as well as the confirmation of what we've already heard. Is there anything we should know about the Hand? Have they been acting strangely recently? What about the Tree Ghosts -- if we were to tell you we're thinking of going to seek out the surviving member of that ambush before mounting a rescue of the Pikes, what would you say? You know better than we do. I'm also curious if you've heard anything recently about the Grandfather Tree -- we have reason to believe the Pikes thought it turned evil. Is that possible?"

"The Tribe of the Hand is well-organized and well-equipped, and both are a result of Mizg'rak's leadership. He has all but eliminated the squabbling, killing, and lack of unity that typically marks any tribe of orcs. Does this make them more civilized? I don't know. More dangerous? Definitely. I have neither seen nor heard that they are up to anything unusual."

Renna pauses and takes another sip of wine. "Regarding the Tree Ghosts..."--she shakes her head--"...finding them within the vastness of the High Forest...I don't know. They've taken the name ghost for a reason. But you're right. The one who fled the battle...who must be a shaman...would certainly have some answers. If he'll share them that is. His skill with the arcane was quite evident...created a spiritual weapon and caused the orc leader to vanish altogether...maybe some sort of banishment spell."

She sits up straight and lets out a yawn before finishing, "The Grandfather Tree...and may that be something I see with my own eyes someday...the Grandfather Tree turning evil? That seems strange, doesn't it? Although, it is the object of fanatic devotion for the Tree Ghosts, and if there's anything evil in the world, they qualify."

"Alright," Jheric finishes a few notes in his book before closing it emphatically, "Obviously something is amiss here. The ambushed and ambushing parties, the strange Pikes, the disappearing Tree Ghost leader, and the possibly corrupted Grandfather Tree. Of them all, it seems like the Pikes are the most straightforward. Maybe we find them, make restitution with the Hand tribe, then investigate the Tree Ghosts? I feel like if there's some corrupting influence, a territorial dispute between barbarians and orcs is the least of our concerns."

"I agree. The Pikes are the mission. We start there and follow it where it leads."

Renna nods her head and says, "The Hand is located in a series of caves on the western edge of Silverwood; continue eastward to Olostin's Hold and then head north, cleaving to the western edge of the wood. Much safer than crossing the Evermoors."

She gathers up the empty wine bottles and tin cups and prepares to call it a night. "I wish you well. You have an ally here at the Horns, if ever you shall need it."

(If any character desired further interaction with Renna, then we can do so with a sidebar later.)

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Renna disappears into the after-hours darkness of the inn, leaving each of you to mull over your future meeting with an orc tribe and wondering what that meeting may, or may not, reveal about the Pikes' fate. The summer night is utterly serene, with only a soft breeze to rustle the leaves overhead. The other guests of the Calling Horns Inn--of which there are few--settled into their rooms over an hour ago. As you make your way toward the inn, preparing to rest as well as possible before the next phase of your journey, an unexpected noise reaches your ears: from the far side of the stables, comes the sound of wood being broken...

Initiative: Gwin 18 | Jheric 5 | Mola 15 | Rixton 18 (for a12.25 average)

All characters may take an action, in any order. Here's the layout of the area:

Rixton considers the distance and opts to be the scout. He bolts forward and ducks inside the stables. (Ends at F18: move + dash = 80')

Mola would just ask where the tree ghosts are, and say he still wants to talk druid Harper stuff later.

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He also dashes forward to G20 (think that's as far as he can get).

Gwin hears the sound coming from the stables and is immediately concerned for Steveaustin. Running as quickly as her short legs can manage, she follows behind her companions (I19).