Arriving in town initially was a slightly different group than the one playing now. It was Tergus the Fighter, Terrible Sally the Gnomish Illusionist/Thief, and two players (who didn't work out) playing a Human Cleric and a Halfling Magic-User.
When arriving in Hommlet, the group knew that there might be new activity with the old Elemental Cult, but needed a solid lead and information to work on. They stopped in at the widely known Inn of the Welcome Wench, run by Ostler Gundigoot and his wife. Talking with the stableboy, they learned that lots of adventurer types were coming into town, everyone asking questions but few coming up with any real answers. The stableboy didn't trust some of them, especially one sellsword named Zert who downright scared him.
After talking with Gundigoot, who supported their suspicions but who gave them little solid information, they took time to eat a good meal and watch and listen. Eventually Elmo, one of the friendlier town drunks, rolled into the Inn. The party made their Insight checks, and realized his drunkenness was just an act. They talked with him a bit, and he alluded to the fact that some answers might be found out along the old trace road into the swamp nearby, again providing no solid info. The party also first met the Ranger Amberyn here, as she was coming in to get the daily ration of cheap wine for her uncle and cousin. She took note of the party, learned a bit of their plans, then excused herself to go home and babysit her relatives. Other stand-outs in the Inn's common room were a monstrous fighter named Kobort and his weaselly companion Turuko. Tergus was a bit lit at this point, and started flipping Turuko crap for 'trying to pose as a wizard' and failing miserably. Terse words were exchanged, but Turuko decided not to press matters and he and Kobort retired for the evening. The party, not having learned too much else, decided to do the same fairly soon thereafter.
Up at dawn, the party kitted themselves out with their adventuring gear, and left the Inn, ready to check the trace road. There they found Amberyn waiting for them. She had had a drag out fight with her uncle last night. He had pressed her too far, and he actually tried to hit her. She responded by beating him up badly, but restrained herself from killing him. She did take his militia-issued polearm from him, and all of the silver he had stashed in a stump on their property, and left home for good. Knowing of the party's plans, she didn't ask but insisted that they take her along. She had done some scouting in the swamp, and had found the location of a razed and abandoned moathouse that had been used during the last Temple uprising as an outpost for a future attack against Hommlet. Those few who even knew about it think it to be abandoned and/or haunted, but she has seen evidence that bandits have made their home in the ruins, and she has seen tracks of various humanoids leading into and out of the moathouse as well. If they were to let her join the party, she would show them where it was. They agreed, and set out along the overgrown trace road into the swamp a few miles out of town.
To be continued...
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