The oldster was firmly intent on staying at the Inn, letting the foolish search for their quarry...

...but his curiosity could not be contained. A new path to see, perhaps one which none of his order had yet trodden... and named Sandal... yes, he would attend, if not to capture the wily scout, then to explore.

"C'mon flea-bag, we'll be needed, I'm sure of that..."

Chomper awoke from his nap beneath the table, shook his head, and got to his feet with a huge stretch.

"What? Going after him? He got away! Quite theatrically I might add!"

There seemed to be little he could say to dissuade the more militant of his companions. He'd expected more of Brodd and Pock, but perhaps the old goat's droning on about a coinage deficit had compelled them.

"Alright, alright, I'll go, someone needs to record the tale..."

"Want an apple Pock? I'm giving one to Rose, she's a good girl." he feeds an apple to the mule and hands one to Pock if he wants it.

"Who am I to turn down food?" Pock plucked the apple and got to eating.

Leohart wonders the sanity of trying to track a scout into the mountains.  Even in a box canyon, there are too many places to hide.  But he will keep his own counsel for now.

"My Lady,I must insist that you don't go jumping into some humanoid-infested burrow like a common...um...er...gopher! Your survival is  paramount to our quest!"

"I think our Lady Starshell can decide for herself which burrows she'll be jumping into, wouldn't you agree, Catweazel?" Pock took a good bite out of his apple.

In reply to Pock Oneshoe (msg # 14):

Brodd nodded agreement with Pock as he took a bite of apple as well. With his left hand he held another apple for Rosie to eat.

"We've a reward waiting for us, and we have in our possession the means by which we may claim it... Lady Starshell. My interest in this hunt is purely self-interest. I wish to see these Sandals, for something rings in my mind and heart that the One Who Wanders would have me tread this path. I'm not particularly interested in bringing Travis to justice, we all know how it is to be accused of crimes and pressured into making decisions from which there is no easy path to navigate!"

The old cleric scratched absently at the ears and neck of the huge pack-dog that was both beast of burden and protector, and - were it to be truly known - a very close and beloved companion.

"The Lady gets killed or lost, not only do we lose our reward, but the rumored War my be kindled because of this! I'm willing to accompany you, but could we not return here after our current mission is accomplished and we have upon our persons the means with which we can pay for our very room and board?"

He glared over at Brodd and Pock, "By the way, where did you get the apples?"

"By my tattered breeches man, what's come over you? The first warm food, warm hearth, and warm seat you come across in a good long while and your spirit has gone cold on us! Perhaps there's some relic of your Wandering God down there, perhaps He's left some sign or... or... artifact or cryptic text! I say we get two rewards, Travis and the Lady! We've survived some fairly tenuous circumstances up to now... I doubt our Luck's completely run out!"

Harald was optimistic and cheerful to the point of annoyance at times.

In reply to Regdoc (msg # 16):

"I keep them in a bag on Rosie, they're getting soft and wormy, but she don't care."

"You let them get wormy?" Creston's face twists up, a litle. "You should have thrown them out and bought new ones, while we were in town."

"She don't mind a worm, and I did buy more, that's why I still have some. These are good uns. I give the older ones to her first to get them eat up with a good one every other one to keep her happy."

"And happy she is, Brodd. Now, Regdoc, where's your sense of adventure? To hell with room and board. There's our fugitive friend down there, some kind of sandals, uhhh, a cliff." He had quickly run out of adventurous things to point out, and took a bite of his apple as he pet Rosie idly.

"You know what is worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm?  Biting in and finding half of a worm."

In reply to Leohart (msg # 22):

"That's you Leohart, Rosie don't care about no worms. The two of us got fresh apples, you want a fresh one Leohart?" Brodd asks.

"Thanks, no, I had my protein today."

Brodd shrugs his shoulders at Leohart and continues to lead Rosie down the trail.

The rocks and moss beneath your feet give way to flat slate. You can make out the shadows of two flanking hills ahead, then the fog parts for a moment and you see that these hills are indeed crumbled statues of sandaled feet, each of them easily the size of the ship you sailed on previously. The original statue must have been massive indeed!

"Ahhh, the sandals I assume! By the gods it must have been massive and truly ancient!"

Regdoc's footsteps faltered as he beheld the sight before him. He took a long look at what was left of the crumbling statue, his mortal mind reeling at the sheer immensity of the depiction.

He dropped to one knee and bowed his head, speaking quietly the words of prayer. "Lord of the Roads, Trails, Paths and Byways of this World, I implore You to make this known to Your humble servant... Is this place, or was it once, a tribute, shrine, or representation long lost and left to ruin, of Your Ever Wandering Avatar?"

Chomper sat at the old cleric's side, eyes and ears forward, intent at this time to understand and warn of danger.

"Those are some mighty big sandals to fill!"

This message was deleted by the player at 13:25, Thu 13 Aug 2020.

"I could probably fill them with plants, Leo."

Pock stared up in wonder at what little he could make out of the great statue's sandaled feet, finishing his apple as he mused on what, exactly, possessed mortal races to create monuments of this size.