You started in the Crevasse area of the Rebrand Hideout. A rebrand has just entered the area as you were fleeing out the south exit. Mud is unconscious.
Sagnus impersonated a Redbrand, causing some confusion and giving you all a chance to flee the Hideout via the south exit.
Aster threw ball bearings down the middle section of the tunnel behind you.
As you exited the tunnel into the forest you see it’s late arvo and weather had turned cold and windy.
Forest was too scrubby to rest in so made your way through it, heading towards the town.
Looking around you conclude that the Hideout is likely below the ruined manor on the hill.
Dna noticed a middle aged halfling woman beckoning you from the nearest farm to the west. She’s covered in dirt and carries a hoe.
As you approach she ushers you towards her house.
You see the farm consists of a single house with a barn beside it. Vegetables are being grown in tilled rows outside.
Dna’s insight tells him that she is genuinely concerned for your well being,
Going inside the house it’s warm and cosy. There’s soup cooking. All the furniture is halfling size but the building itself is human size. There’s lots of steps and stools to assist her in reaching bench tops and shelves.
She asked what happened at Hideout as she prepared a rough bed for Mud on the floor.
She asked if the Redbrands were coming after you.
She offers the hayloft in the Barn for you all to stay in for the night.
She asked about why you’re in Phanalin and Wood told her that he thought there was a connection between the Goblins who ambushed you and the local Rebrand gang. He also told her you are looking for a friend.
She asked if you discovered the fate of the wood carver’s family in the Hideout and Wood recalled the half eaten body he found in the Crevasse in the Hideout.
You told her you’re going back into the Hideout and would try to discovered what has become of his family.
Aster notices a halfling boy beside her leg, doing his best to listen in on the conversation. He has a toy sword.
Aster smiles and waves to him and he offers to help on your return to the Hideout.
The halfling woman takes you out to the barn and then returns to the house with her son.
Wood starts meditating.
The halfling woman returns with vegetable soup and stale bread.
She leaves you to have a long rest and you take turns on watch through the night.
In the morning you go the house to speak with the boy.
The woman opens the door and apologises for not introducing herself yesterday.
Her name is Quelline Alderleaf and her son is Carp.
She gently asks you move on as she doesn’t want trouble.
Sagnus asks Carp about how to get into the Hideout.
Carp is excited to share what he knows of the secret entrance and draws a map in the dirt of the hideout entrance. You conclude it’s the same entrance you used yesterday.
Sagnus gives one of his daggers to Carp – it’s the size of the longsword on him. He runs inside with it to show his Mum. INSPIRATION
It’s about 6am – the sun is up.
You head towards the forest. It’s a cold but clear day and the grass crunches with frost underfoot.
Once you reach the forest, Wood goes ahead into the forest to scout but doesn’t notice anything unusual around the tunnel entrance.
Aster leads the way into the tunnel followed by Woody, Mud, Dna and Sagnus.
Aster reminds you to watch out for the ball bearings in the tunnel.
Aster goes ahead to the Crevasse area and it finds it the same except the Bugbear body has been removed.
The rest of you agree to follow Aster into the Crevasse area if she doesn’t return after a couple of rounds.
Aster creeps down the south west corridor and discovers steps leading down.
She goes down the steps and discovers a wooden door to the left (south) and that the corridor continues to the right to finish at another door (north).
She peeks through the keyhole in the south door and sees a dingy room. She sees the other side of room is about 15’ away and there is an empty, unmade bed against the far wall.
She hears snoring in the room. It doesn’t sound quite human – it’s a little higher pitched, nasally and coming from multiple sources.
She tests the door and it feels locked.
The rest of you haven’t heard from Aster so you begin to move up the tunnel towards the Crevasse. All are stealthy except Mud who accidentally kicks fist sized rock into the Crevasse.
Aster cuts off a little piece of rope and jams it in the keyhole of the south door. INSPIRATION
Aster meets the rest of you back in the Crevasse room and reports on what she found.
Aster goes back down the south west corridor. This time to inspect the north door. It’s also a wooden door, with iron handles and lock built into it.
Aster peeks through the keyhole and listens. She sees a number of Redbrands sitting around a table, arguing about some sort of game. Some of them appear to be quite drunk and rowdy. She also sees a door on the far side of the room.
Aster returns to the group and reports on her findings.
You discuss a plan for murdering creatures in their sleep…
