Jak let out a sigh. It was too early in the morning for this. He slowly looked over at the 'deputy'. "Nah, everyone's still gettin' up an' eatin' breakfast. I just wanted t'try an' do a quick bit o'shoppin' 'fore we leave..." He paused and tilted his head at the man. "I mean...y'don't wanna stop the town from gettin' some o'my hard-earned coin 'fore I leave, do ya? Y'might s'well s'get some money outta me 'fore I'm tossed outta town, right? You, or one o'yer friends can escort me. I got nothin' t'hide."

He smiled at the man in a friendly fashion, but unfortunately his tiredness (both physical and with the town's BS might be showing through slightly).

The man looks at Jak with bemusement. "Early in the morning?" he replies, glancing once more at the sun, nearly at its zenith. "I don't think we'll have enough time to stop anyplace before the sun's right overhead."

"Are they coming out soon or am I going to have to haul your friends out of there?"

Mayon was quiet, mostly lost in thought when he came downstairs that morning. His own things were already packed up as he ordered food as well. More dreams from his patron, nothing odd there. What did feel odd was that the magic pulsing in him felt stronger, and it felt like there was a...connection pulling at him, trying to get him to call it forward.

He was certainly curious, but better to leave town first than delay everyone. He gives a tired smile to Morg and Bram and takes a seat with his own food as well.

Kaylessa and her staff provide a tepid stew to the few patrons of the common room, most of whom are there for lunch. Several servers and a few of the patrons eye the group suspiciously, though none broach conversation or comment.

---

The stew is 3 sp per bowl.

If the plan is still to follow the Larch Path into the hills, I can post that later today. If the plan changes or anyone wants to try to do stuff before leaving town, let me know that too.

What travel place are you planning to set, fast/normal/slow? Slow lets you use stealth, fast gives you a -5 penalty to perception. In general, feel free to make perception checks to study the surrounding countryside as you travel.

"We should probably not rush while on the Larch path, so we have enough time to search for traces of the delegation from Mirabar." Morg says to the remaining party at the table.

---

19:15, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 16 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 13.  Perception check for traces of Mirabar delegation or recent scuffles.

Morg doesn't see any signs of a delegation from any dwarven city, much less from Mirabar.

Several folks who look like locals are here, day laborers perhaps and extra hands. A few travelers also sit here and there in the common room, hurriedly eating the barely-edible stew so they can return to the road.

When the rest of the group emerges from the inn and joins Jak, the sun is nearly directly overhead. Impatient, the trusty leads the group out of town through the throngs of shoppers and travelers to the outskirts of town. There he bids them farewell abruptly and turns back to town.

The group makes their way into the windswept badlands known as the Sumber Hills. The going is slow, as much of the surrounding land is comprised of hills with exposed rock faces or steep escarpments. More than once it becomes necessary to detour around a particularly treacherous hill, or a deep ravine.

Tiny streams rise from numerous hidden springs, and the drinkable water is welcome relief from the intensifying sun. Thunder booms in the distance as the afternoon continues on, but no rain falls nearby. Despite scanning the horizon for any other travelers or movement of any kind, they encounter no one for several hours.

As the afternoon deepens into evening, the group reaches a ravine that matches the description of the location of Tricklerock Cave. Looking down into the shallow gorge, an exposed rock face is split by a vertical crevice about three feet wide and fifteen feet high. Water trickles from the opening and spills into a nearby bog.

---

The Dessarin Valley map updated. You've been travelling for about 4 hours, and the sun is beginning to set.

Feel free to make perception checks as you like.

"Well, this looks like the place," Asano says, wiping a hand across his brow. He glances around the area, then nods to the opening, "Who would care to lead?"


OOC:
Perception- 7

"I think this place may be a death trap which Mellikho wanted us to come to, so we wouldn't find her cult in the quarry tunnels." Morg says.

---

My previous perception check was actually for travelling thru the hills. Should I roll again, looking for traces of Mirabar delegation, or recent scuffles on the road?

Neither Asano nor Morg see any local signs of travel near the cave, though Morg thinks there may be bootprints in the mud around the crevice.

In the deepening twilight, Morg also spies a few circling vultures perhaps six to eight miles to the southeast over the foothills.

"Should we check the cave," Morg says and points to the bootprints, "or go see if those vultures are hovering over the delegation?" pointing to the southeast.

"I'd prefer to check the vultures, personally. Anything Mellikho wanted us to go do seems like a pretty terrible idea in hindsight." Mayon remarks with a wry grimace.

"That's probably a valid point," Asano muses, watching the vultures circle lazily. "If she meant it as a trap and not merely a distraction from the goings on in her mines. She may very well have only been trying to distract us." He takes a slow breath, still watching the circling scavengers above and away. "That said, the situation below the vultures is probably more time sensitive. I second investigating whatever it is that holds their interest."

Jak was actually not feeling too bad about the day. Being on the road and traveling, as a bard, did give him some good feelings despite their ejection from the town. He hummed a bit, but didn't actually break out in to song as they went along.

When talk about the cave and vultures came up, he chimed in. "Well. Vultures're a good bet t'check first. Better safe than sorry. The cave ain't goin' anywhere probably." He chuckled slightly at his lame joke.

The group follows the sight of the circling vultures, skirting the edge of the shallow ravine. Moving away from the Larch Path into the foothills, lengthening shadows play upon the rocky outcroppings ahead.

After a few couple more hours of travel, deepening twilight gives way to evening. The group ascends a rough hillside and reaches a barren hilltop. To the south the hills gradually end, giving way to rolling grasslands suitable for grazing.

Four roughly dug graves sit haphazardly around the summit of the hill, beneath the cries of the carrion birds overhead. The earth scraped out for the holes is piled nearby, although hastily gathered stones cover the graves. The faint smell of death hangs in the air.

---

Map location updated.

Jak let out a long breath. He hadn't realized how far away they were going to have to go to get to where the vultures were circling. He wiped the sweat from his brow as they crested the last hilltop and looked over...

His nose crinkled and his face puckered up slightly, "...graves?" He looked around slowly. "Well, that's a bit disappointing, though I s'pose I prefer that someone did the decent thing an' buried the people rather than just leavin' 'em out t'decay in plain sight or get eaten full-on."

He looked to the party hesitantly. "Should we...check...an' like...make sure they weren't the delegation or whatever? Or leave 'em in peace?"

"We can probably check the bodies by removing only a few of the stones" Morg says, looking around for clues.

---

12:34, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 4 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 1. Perception check at size of graves,  and for possible clues nearby.

Morg sees the graves are four in number, with a confused collection of tracks all around the top of the hill.

Asano stood near the rear of the party, looking at the graves in confusion. "That was not what I was expecting," he says, shaking his head and looking back along their trail. "I would prefer we left the dead to their rest. These folk have run their race and found their end, whatever it may be. They clearly left behind those that cared for them, perhaps we can find them and inquire as to this mystery?"

"That fellow Bram was talking to, Eahdon, said a shephard found new graves here in the hills, so this is probably what he saw." Morg says. "I think the delegation was much larger than 5 people tho, but I can't make out any clear tracks leaving here - anyone good at tracking?"

Jak searched around to see if there was anything telltale or interesting without digging up the bodies since the others were reluctant (oh yeah, not him, it was all totally the others!). He didn't really like being around the graves, however, and he kept glancing at them as he tried to look around. Finally, he gave up.

"Okay. So what now? We movin' on?"

17:41, Today: Secret Roll: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 9 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 4.  Investigation.

Asano mutters a quiet prayer to Kelemvor. He walks carefully around the gravesite, giving them a wide, respectful buffer.
"Shall we continue to Beliard, or double back to the red herring?" Asano asks, facing to the northeast.

"If this was the delegation, and they were heading to Red Larch, then after being attacked and fleeing here, wouldn't they head towards Red Larch again? So, southwest?" Morg says.

"Also, I'd like to check and see specifically if any of the buried are dwarves. Some of my people have this ridiculously wasteful tradition of burial in elaborate  tombs, so I'd like to try and identify any, to send word to their kin of where they currently lie.

If you tall folk are against removing the stones tho, I understand."

A bird calls out in the chilling night air from several miles to the north. In the darkening light, a large shape flits between the hills nearby to the east, then is gone. The stones of the graves sit still and silent.

---

Where to?

"Personally, I'd prefer to leave the dead where they lie." Mayon comments, examining the graves. "Though, perhaps we could try to follow those tracks and find those who buried them? It may provide some hint...I'm afraid I'm not much of a tracker, though." He frowns a bit, wondering if he could use his patron's gift to summon something that was. The sight of the shape off in the hills catches his attention, and he narrows his eyes. "And that could be of interest as well...whether to track or to avoid."