Getting Back to Bayleaf

General Summary

The transportation from the goose god took the party much, much further into The Waste then they thought they would be. It would be faster to move further east to get out of the dessert, rather than the dozens of days that it would take to leave the dessert from the west.   The party moved east to the edges of Linwood forest, taking 6 days to make it to the edge and almost exhausting the party's supplies of food and water.   At the edges of Linwood, it's obvious that this is a more human patrolled area than other parts of Arda, especially on the rail lines. The elves here are sullen in public, where they have to see the humans, and there doesn't seem to be the same abundance of halflings that there is through the rest of Arda.   The natural dwellings of the wood elves, built alongside or with trees, looking like a part of the natural landscape, is harshly contrasted with human long houses, newly built into freshly cut clearings. The lumber is being sent along the rail for processing. The train station is open to the public. Human guards, not in navy uniform but the armor of trained soldiers, stand casual but watchful at the gates. Humans sit behind counters, selling tickets and updating the signs with expected times. There are few passengers.   The party refueled at the Linwood station, getting main supplies, paying and then parting ways with their dessert guide. At the platform, several people in lose grey robes stand attentive. They watch the tracks, look to ledgers, and don't speak. The grey robes are The Porters, and usher in the train on time, silently organize the few passengers getting off the train, and then signal that new passengers should be on board.   The train has a sculpted dragon head as the engine car, and the passenger cars are spacious and comfortable. The party took the train to Manaes, on the coast, before buying passage on a ship to get back to Port Greta.   When the party finally made it back to Bayleaf, after about five weeks in the dessert, the party got back to Bayleaf. Bayleaf, with the black eye. While the party was gone, he was roughly questioned by a human imperial agent, Dom Vogson. Vogson had accurate descriptions of the party, in a boat matching this description. He eventually left, but Bayleaf was under the impression that he was just waiting for them to make another move.

Notes

8 days out of the desert, 2 days on the train, + 2 weeks on a boat, so it's been 5 weeks   Paid the guide: 6 days out, 1 day in the temple, 3 days out of the dessert > 10 days > 50pg total - 30 gp paid up front, 20 gp