"It doesn't hurt to be on our guard, but we need to stay vigilant." As much as Summer wanted to go sightseeing, it was best that they took care of this situation first.

Genken chuckles at Lar-Dun. "Perhaps you let me do the talking here, Lar-Dun? After all, I am used to the political games that nobles play. A little conversation in some town in the middle of nowhere should be reasonably straight forward." He then starts casually walking after their guide to Garon.

You follow the boy as he walks across the square into the tavern. A carved wooden sign hanging above the door reads 'The Old Boar.'

"Thirteen," he calls out to the bartender, who you assume to be Garon. The man glances up from the notes he's taking and leans forward, elbows resting on the counter to appraise you.

Garon is much older than the blond boy - probably in his late forties or early fifties. His curly brown hair is cropped short and balding at the top, and he has a thick beard. He wears a similar white shirt and brown apron to the boy.

"Thirteen," Garon echoes resignedly after a moment, shaking his head.

Genken chuckles as he walks over to the man he assumes to be Garon. "Thirteen? Some little inside quip you have here? I'm assuming it's the number of groups coming in search of some magic apple that everyone keeps talking about?"

You're joking, but Garon looks dead serious. "Every year for the past thirteen years, a group has gone into that ravine and never come back. All sent by the same Damian fellow; all on the same supposed quest. It's later in the summer than they usually come. We thought maybe this was the year it would stop. Guess we were wrong."

"Maybe fourteen is a lucky number?" Arisys says to lighten then mood. Seeing the lack of amusement on Garon's face, she turns more serious as well. "What is in that Ravine? Why has no one succeeded in this task for the last thirteen years?"

Quote from ArtymisMoon >>

You're joking, but Garon looks dead serious. "Every year for the past thirteen years, a group has gone into that ravine and never come back. All sent by the same Damian fellow; all on the same supposed quest. It's later in the summer than they usually come. We thought maybe this was the year it would stop. Guess we were wrong."

 Ondrej stoops down and whispers loudly to the group "Thirteen. Is that a lot?"

"Well, there's the kobolds, but they don't bother you if you don't bother them. And the goblins are nasty little buggers, but they're hardly lethal enough to kill all twelve groups before you. There's something else down there, something powerful."

The boy perks up. "Yeah, powerful enough to turn you into-"

Garon silences him with an annoyed glare. Looking back at your faces, he realizes he's going to have to explain now. "A couple years back, they found the body of one of the adventurers. It was horribly disfigured, mutated even. The eyes were red, and the skin was grey. It had a weird texture to it, almost like tree bark. But, by the time we sent a cart to pick it up, it was gone. Whatever is down there doesn't want us to know what it's doing."

"Does this have anything to do with the strange activity that people have been experiencing in the area surrounding Oakhurst? We, ourselves, we attacked on our way here." Arisys thinks on the grey disfigured humans, and what could possibly have caused such an ailment. Thinking back on the reason for their trip..."Would the magic apple not heal such a disease?" 

"Not if they're already dead," Garon replies grimly. "And it very well could."

Next to him, the boy gasps as if he's remembered something important. "Tell them about the reward!"

Garon sighs. "Nobody else has taken it, why would they?"

The boy shrinks a bit as his idea is shot down.

"Come on boy, tell us about this reward since Garon doesn't wish to exert himself so," Genken says to the boy while cutting at Garon with his sarcasm.

The boy smiles again, excited that someone wants to listen to him. Garon rolls his eyes, but doesn't say anything.

"Last year's group had a brother and sister, Talgen and Sharwyn Hucrele. Their mother Kerowyn has been in Oakhurst ever since, waiting for them to come back. After about two months, she put up a reward for anyone who can bring them back, dead or alive. Nobody's taken her up on it yet, but you all seem like the kind of folks who would."

Genken, make an intelligence check.

Genken Intelligence: 14

"Thanks for the info, young one. Perhaps I'll drop in on Kerowyn before we trek off," Genken nods to the boy. He then turns back to Garon, "So, is there anything else you'd like add? Such as pointing us in the direction of this magic apple?"

You recognize Kerowyn's name from your time spent in the courts of Greyhawk. You know that she's quite wealthy, and is moderately powerful, or at least was before moving to Oakhurst. You haven't ever met her, though.

Garon gives you directions to reach the Old Road. "About seven miles down the road, you'll pass a large ravine. Can't miss it. The Twilight Grove lies within." He thinks for a moment on what other advice he can offer you. "Don't fight the kobolds if you can help it. We have a tentative peace with them, and we'd like to keep it that way. Oh, and if you'd like to talk to Kerowyn, she runs the general store down the street. She'll most likely be there."

"Two birds with one stone," said Serenity. "We could pick up any needed items after speaking to her. As for the apple, I wouldn't be surprised to find the undead bodies of past adventurers waiting for us.

"Undead? Oh lovely," Genken sarcastically replies, "Let's go see Kerowyn and stock up before we leave. Thanks for the advice and directions, Garon, old chap," he gives a sardonic salute as he turns to leave.

"Well that was informative." Arisys says as they leave the tavern. "What do you make of people turning grey with red eyes?" (Has Arisys ever heard of such an ailment?) 

"I don't think it's an ailment, or at least not a simple one." Lar-Dun says. "In all my... experiences, I've seen terrible things that evil powers can do. This sounds more like some kind of curse to me than catching a cold."

Summer nodded. She lacked the world traveling experience that some of her comrades may have, but she's been told of tales that would shock many to the core of their being. The town itself felt like it was walking on eggs shells, especially with the tenous relationships with the kobolds. The slights push in the wrong direction could send things spiraling out of control. 

"I wonder who comes up with such things. There has to be a reason for all of this, rather a benefit to be gained."

"Well, whoever's doing it, we'll just make sure we get to him before he gets to us. Can't be that hard" Ondrej says with a shrug.