We’ve made camp.

The group is weary after the ordeals of battle, and we have healed ourselves physically. Ren, angry over Carnation’s refusal to listen to her plan in battle, frightens Carnation away. We can just see her settled in the treetops but can’t get close. The rest of the group is still and tries to sleep.

Morning after, Just the T.I.P. heads back to meet Iscandar. The group walks forward with focus, as if nothing is wrong, although it feels like a lie as many are wrapped up in their own worlds. Ren’s mutters can be heard in the quiet as her hands compulsively twiddle her rope or netting.

Coming out of the battle unscathed, Dorian and J can be seen chatting amongst themselves while J forages, her hands holding some willow bark while discussion of tea is overheard.

Off in the distance, a black smoke is seen drifting with the wind.

Narcel’Uss pauses abruptly in her march to watch. “Do you notice something?” Dorian asks Narcel’Uss.

“Looks to the skies Dorian.” Narcel’Uss mutters at him, seeming exasperated.

“Well there’s nothing I can do for that here. Perhaps the rangers could use our assistance…” Dorian says with a jaunty grin. Their walk slows as their conversation shifts to making the most of this possible opportunity. Paying them no mind,  J, Ren and Vani move forward to the village.

As we step out of the forest we enter farmland. A small farming village can be seen, about half a mile away. Smouldering large buildings are the cause of the black smoke in the sky. Upon closer look it appears the only Inn in town was one of those casualties.

Pausing before the wreckage, the group surveys the villagers to decide on their best approach to come into town. Several farmers are out and about, they seem to be behaving relatively normal, although sideways glances say they definitely noticed the party of warriors traipsing out of the woods.

Trying to make the party appear less frightening, Dorian whistles a cheery tune, although from the look of Narcel’Uss’ face, it only causes her irritation. In the middle of the town the group sees that they have come up to the aftermath of a fight. One of the houses and Inn is burnt to the ground.

Instinctively the group splinters, Dorian, Narcel’Uss, Ildan and Ren wander further into the middle of town, where a boisterous man could be heard. J follows Vani as she wanders off towards the sounds of children playing.

“Greetings Sirs!” Dorian addresses the rotund man with walrus mustache, seemingly the man in charge. It is learnt that the walrus man is the burgher of the town and quite upset as his house was burnt down by the Witch Hunters. Eyes from the crowd draw attention to the burgher’s arm, which holds a very fresh brand; the mark of the witch hunter.

Meanwhile.

Vani notices a group of children playing an orcish variant of traveller. Since asking about the houses burnt to a crisp upset one of the children who looks very much like the walrus-man in the centre of town, Vani offers him one of her prized shiny pebbles.  A different child takes it and offers up a trove of information, regarding the burgher’s involvement with criminals, the fight with the witchhunters, and the arrival of dorse gwillion who made the witch hunters leave…

J and Vani turn to discuss the information when a small child tugs on Vani’s shoulders. The child has the look of wanting to give information, but held back by parental decree. With a little coaxing it is revealed that one of the witch hunters is hiding in their barn, and he is there to keep the bad people away…

Back with Narcel’Uss, Dorian and Ren, Narcel’Uss explains to the city and seafolk the significance of the Witch Hunter’s mark, which usually means to ‘stay away’. Wanting more information on what the mark could mean on a human, they approach a lady working a spinning wheel. Her eyes shooting daggers at the centre of town. Narcel’Uss, attracted to the anger emanating from the woman, approaches her with questions on the burgher.

After a little goading, Narcel’Uss casually mentions that they (Just the T.I.P.) are in the business of solving problems…

The woman stops her spinning. “Are you the donghenge people?”

Softly, the woman begins to speak of the incident from yesterday. How the burgher was in league with criminals and stealing from his people. And now, the [farmers] League will deal with him. The satisfaction in her voice at the statement clear.

Narcel’Uss departs from the woman and the group reunites. Wanting to explore the information given by the child, Vani and J urge the group to explore the barn. Dorian and Narcel’Uss continue their usual debate on the where the profit may lie in the exploration. Vani stops abruptly, her eyes on the ashes behind the inn. Thieves Cant for ‘stay away’ is slashed in the ash. Noting this to J, J suggests the group stay where they are, while J and Vani quietly scamper to the barn and the farmhouse to investigate further.

While the two have run off, Dorian notices and relays to the rest of the group the ‘Stay away’ in Thieves cant. Upon Narcel’Uss’ urging, the party quickly move,  walking nonchalantly towards the Vani and J at the farmhouse, only to see them scamper off again towards the barn. After a moment of watching the two peak into the barn, the group meets up again at the front of the farmhouse.

It is here that J relates all the information that she and Vani have uncovered, of the man in the farmhouse throwing a knife, to the injured man with the bandaged hands sitting alone in the farmhouse. Not the quietest group, as the party discusses what to do, the man in the farmhouse opens the door to see the party standing at his doorstep. As Dorian begins to apologize for talking so loudly on the man’s doorstep, J cuts in, “What happened to your hands!” Both hands are mangled, they look like they’ve been worked over and bandaged as best as a farmer can handle. The man looks as though he’s been crying, confusion on his face as the horde of strangers lead him back into his house and sit him down at his table.

The house looks as though it has gone through a struggle, the result of it is all the broken fingers on this man’s hands. Waving her hand on top o the farmer’s, his hands heal beautifully; his tears are choked back as he flexes his hands.

“What happened to you?” J asks

“The Tong”.

Some in the group jerk at the sound of this name. The farmer goes on to describe how the Tong had broken his fingers as he would not pay them for protection. The witchhunter came to help the farmers deal with this threat as he was an old family friend. Since the Burgher was in league with the Tong, he has been marked forever. The farmer, whose name is Rauf, is so very excited to have healed and whole hands, he gives the group enough supplies to make it back to therengrad and a bottle of elvish wine. While the group is thankful, the group cautions Rauf from mentioning the party’s name to anyone in town… perhaps the witch hunter (Christian) could know we were ‘never here’, but Just the T.I.P would be there for him should be need us.

**

After an uneventful trip back to Therengard, the group head over see Iskandar in his performance space. Unfortunately… it’s just a cover bard performing endless iterations of the folk version of stairway to irven.

Rather, the party finds Iskandar in a game of wizard poker. Iskandar, while excited to see the party has returned… has different ideas on how much he wants to actually pay the party. Pulling from his bag, he reveals a sheath of paper, a deed for a manor and a plot of land north of langar, about a week away when traveling by foot. Perhaps we’d be willing to trade the property and a few hundred gold? As he rather needs the stones right now for this game of poker he is playing…

It is at this moment Dorian notices that Iskandar is quite the illusionist, as the minotaur hasn’t even left his poker game but has sent this semi-transparent double to deal with us instead! “We’ll hold onto this… come see us at the plowshare when you are finished.” Dorian suggests while taking the property deed. Ren gives the illusion a huge pat on the back, and the illusion pops!

Retiring to the plowshow, the party waits for the gambling illusionist. Ten at night, a shabbly-dressed wizard elf comes in and sits near our table. It is revealed that the elf is Iskandar! While momentarily startled by the change in body, although the personality is still very much the same, the party conveys its interest in the deed. We are curious… but not persuaded by just paper.

Iskandar paints a description of the property, known as Shoreline Manor, formerly Bloodstone Manor. It was a sorcerer’s manor with a lakeview and about a two-hour journey from Malkara. Iskandar agrees to journey with us to see the Manor in all its glory and spend at least one night there to prove that it is not haunted. We determine with Iskandar that the party shall leave in a few days. But first! We must visit our next our previously accepted job offer!

It is not long after the meeting with Iskandar that the party runs into Keith and he is… a frog. A frog sitting in a farmer’s pub eating flies that his manservant, Gerhart, is carefully holding out for him. Gerhart, with a solemn bleakness confirms that due to his master’s… change in body. It is decided then that Just the T.I.P. shall not wait for Keith, rather, in a few days they shall depart for Iskandar and enjoy the Wizard’s Festival in the meantime.

As seems typical to them, Vani, Carnation and J busk together during the festival while the rest enjoy the festivities in their own manner. While performing, a farmer pauses before the trio.

“Are you… the T.I.P.?”

The farmer hesitates after hearing confirmation and offer to help. A rendezvous is confirmed at the Plowshore where the farmer, Stewart, can have a quiet chat with the trio. It is at the pub that Stewart shares that he heard of the party through the farmer that Jean healed. Stewart has a problem with thugs coming around his farm. Now this, this he can handle… but when they threaten his daughter with words a father just can’t repeat…

Stewart heard from a boisterous wizard that Just the T.I.P. is making a journey and he would like to send his daughter with us since he has family that she would be safe with. Vani and J. arrange to meet with the farmer and his daughter later tonight to discuss the job and introduce him to the rest of the party.

When meeting up with the rest of the party, it is clear a few members are delighted, our reputation is working! Jobs are coming to us!

Coming to the arranged house, hobgoblins can be heard, cackling as Stewart shoes them from his porch. Just the T.I.P. is quickly ushered inside by the grateful man. Crowding inside a small boarding house’s kitchen the party is introduced to a young woman, Stewart’s daughter. Her name is Elaine, and while she seems rattled, she’s quietly continuing her task of making tea. J heads straight to the daughter with Vani trailing behind while the rest converse with Stewart.

J asks Elaine if she knows why we’re here. Elaine’s hands shake a little… she knows her father wants to send her away, but doesn’t want her to travel by herself. Vani perks up a little and pips in. “Traveling with us is a lot of fun!” Elaine smiles, but is alarmed by the prospect. She hasn’t seen her aunt and uncle since she was a baby, and has never traveled anywhere by herself... although looking at the group of seasoned warriors does seem to settle her nerves a bit. Ren shifts over and asks Elaine, “Do you know why you need to leave?”

Elaine thinks the hobgoblins have made threats. She has seen them before, sometimes in town or in the inn. Ren looks grim. “We would protect you, they are nothing but trouble.”

A little frightened from all the attention, Elaine withdraws a little. The flower Vani offers makes her smile, until it suggested the flower be braided in her hair.

“We are here to help, there is better life on the other side.” Ren says as a comfort to the slightly frightened Elaine.

On the other side of the table, Stewart tells Dorian and Narcel’Uss that he hasn’t told Elaine much, just that she needs to leave. The Tong want money, taxes for protection. They aren’t anything Stewart is afraid in his youth.. but now with a child…

Dorian states the conditions for the party’s aid. No one will know that Just the T.I.P. is involved in secreting Elaine out of the city. If Stewart agrees to this term, then Just the T.I.P. will arrange for his daughter to meet with and we will disguise her. She will need to carry her own supplies, shoes, boots, a description of the family and one gold per day of travel. We will arrange to leave in the next day or two. Vani will serve as contact and will give Elaine a disguise.

Stewart agrees to the plan. We all depart for the night.