Episode L014: Getting His Bearings in Gimblestone

General Summary

After Grigg, Naltica Shooth and Strellik Shooth depart on their Hippogriffs, Hasdraek Deepbrand turns to see his is surrounded by vacant townsfolk, their arms at their sides, vacant looks on their faces.
A man detaches himself from the throng, and introduces himself as Padrigan Broudic in a very flat voice, devoid of emotion and concern, his facial expression as vacant as the other townsfolk. He is polite but strangely vacant. He walks Hasdraek over to The Whetstone Inn and Tavern, where he remands him into the custody of the owner, Melan Kerleroux who shows him to his room, draws a freezing cold bath and provides him with clean clothes in the same vacant demeanor as all the other people he has met so far.
After bathing, Hasdraek descends the stairs to the common room where he finds Melan mechanically drying dishes. When quized about what is going on in Gimblestone, Melan simply responds that there is a new "Exhalted One" in power at the temple, and that beautiful things are coming.
Then Hasdraek meets four Halflings as they descend the stairs to the common room.
Marigold Knotwise is a wealthy and successful merchant based in Acastria. She is cheerful as her kind are wont to be, and her musical laughter breaks out on a moments notice.
Drogo Whitherspoon is her personal bodyguard. A serious young man, he takes his employer's protection very seriously.
Courtney Mugwort is Marigold's maid servant, a plump and jolly woman with a bit of a nervous bent.
Theodard Cotton is Marigold's mad old uncle who has accompanied his niece on this trip. He is cheerful but quite off his rocker.
They are accompanied by a surly human merchant named Cormac O'Farrell. He is unfriendly and petulant, and spends most of his time in his room, but Marigold vouches for him.
Marigold and Cormac were sent to Gimblestone by the The Merchant's Guild of Acastria to investigate irregularities in their recent shipments of stone from the Gimblestone Quaries and were trapped here in the same way Hasdraek was.
One morning, while descending the stairs to the dining room, Hasdraek spots a dirty and malnourished little girl at the bar, stealing a loaf of bread and then swiftly retreating out the front door.
Hasdraek hatches a plan to investigate the town and try to ascertain what is happening and how to get out. He enlists the help of Drogo and they escape the inn through a window on the second floor.

Report Date

05 Sep 2019

Primary Location

The Whetstone Inn and Tavern