Episode L012: Leaving Rhyme Tree

General Summary

After defeating the monstrous creatures with red hats, Hasdreak calls for oil to be doused on the bloody ground to prevent these creatures from being reborn, and sets fire to the oil.
The villagers response to being saved from both the Torence Flackland Gang and these Redcaps is not what Hasdraek was expecting. But they are simple folk - uninterested in adventure and battle - desirous of the simple life, and they look askance at people who would disrupt their way of life - even when the net effect is beneficial. They ask Hasdreak to leave their village and never return.
Hasdreak returns to the former Torence Flackland Gang hideout, and over a period of four days, thoroughly sacks it, giving half the gold to those who helped him, and announcing that he is henceforth the new owner of the cave. Morn, the only surviving member of the Gang agrees to act as custodian of the hideout, until Hasdraek's return.
He takes one of the bags of coins with him, and hides the rest in the river that runs through the cave. He takes two of the three glaives with him also. Then he returns to Rhyme Tree with Garan, Loresa and Ridger Haverstraw, Avery Snow, and Helmund.
On the walk down, he asks the Haverstraws if they've seen Ridger do magic like the magic he did during the fight before, and they answer yes, but ask Hasdraek to keep it quiet, because they are fearful his powers might draw unwanted attention to him. Hasdraek agrees to say nothing about what he saw.
The group part ways, the Haverstraws heading north and home. Helmund has already departed without much ado, and Avery and Hasdraek talk in Avery's general store. Hasdraek takes a risk in confiding to Avery that he found a note from a mysterious "FB", and addressed to Torence Flackland, asking the bandit to keep an eye out for a person whom Hasdraek believes is him. Hasdraek begins to fear he has been betrayed.
After Avery identifies his two glaives - one Bone Glaive, and one Elegant Performer's Glaive - she anounces that she will be leaving Rhyme Tree in a couple of weeks for a trip to Acastra - Jewel of the Ettenval to live in a big city.
Hasdraek returns to the hideout for the night, and sets off the following morning, for Beargrove, arriving two days later. On route he happens past the home of the Haverstaws, on the north road out of Rhyme Tree, but takes care not be observed.
Arriving in Beargrove, Hasdraek disguises himself as a farmer and returns to the Brown Fox Inn where he eats a midday meal and books a room. Eerily it is the same room he rented over a week ago.
Then he sets out to investigate Beothur's home and finds it has been destroyed by magic fire. The door is ajar and inside, the walls are charred and blackened. As he emerges from the alley onto the main street, he notices someone watching him, so he approaches the man and asks for directions to a reputable outfitter. The man tells him to go see Bernie's Bit Briddle, Baggage and Belongings, in the Bear Market. Hasdraek observes the man fleeing in the opposite direction, so he follows him and find that he has gone directly to the guard post by the bridge. Hasdraek watches the man speaking to a guard and gesturing in his direction. Soon, three guards are walking towards him. He stays put.
The guards arrest Hasdraek in connection with the murder for the previous week. They take him to the very same cells where he broke the Orkhüd Gänger out the previous week.

Report Date

20 Aug 2019