Don't You Forget About Me

General Summary

In the morning, Aberchak collected the party and brought them all downstairs as Victor discussed the mission over breakfast. Victor told the party that he ran across mention of this research facility when looking over old records the last time he was in Alcaster. He assumed the facility must be top secret as aside from a single census from around 80 years ago, there is no mention of the facility in any records he could find. Strangely, the census contained an editorial note that the facility seemed to be woefully understaffed and yet no one in the facility seemed perturbed by it. The facility was described as being right outside the village of Vergess, but that village seemed to be just as elusive as there were few records of it either. While Vergess was not located on any maps, there was a small community called Esperroch situated on the Silver Road through the forest that was in the general vicinity of the facility. Victor recommended the party begin searching there.
Later that day the party, accompanied by Aberchak, took a carriage to the town of Ohnwaten where they met the livery owner Colbahr Half-foot. After a short drink in town for the road the party ventured forth into the vast Ernleb Forest, following the Silver Road. After a day's travel they made camp for the night, during which their horses were set upon by two displacer beasts, which the party was able to fend off after being awoken by the noise. In the morning they resumed their travel along the road and by late afternoon had approached Esperroch.
As they entered the village, they noticed that there seemed to be far more houses than were needed for a community of this size. They entered the town's tavern–the Treestride Rest–and asked the owner Becket Dunham for information about the town and why there were so many houses. Dunham said that the town was built around the tavern, specifically to be a halfway point for travelers between Ohnwaten and Knattern to rest. When prodded as to the number of houses, he said that he wasn't sure why they built so many, and supposes it was out of a sense of optimism that more people would join their community. In the meantime, he rents out the empty houses as cabins for waeary travelers. His answers seemed strange to the party, but after casting Detect Magic and Detect Thoughts nothing seemed to contradict what he said, and so after having a drink the party each rented a cabin from him. Lethe also asked Dunham about Vergess, and the bar owner said that while he is unaware of a village by that name he did happen to stumble across an abandoned village on a hunting trip about five years ago. He said it was about a two day journey northwest, and asked the party that if they were venturing out into the woods to keep an eye out for his barmaid Brunhilde who had disappeared the night before. The party agreed and were escorted to their cabins.
Lethe and Aberchak found their cabins to be empty and clean, but Precision and Erevan found a different sight. Erevan found his cabin to be quite lived-in, with an unmade bed, day-old food left on the table, and general clutter that one would expect from someone's home. He also found a Potion of Greater Healing on the table. Precision found her cabin to initially appear clean, but upon further inspection it was clear that someone had spent years living here, as evidence by notches on a doorpost tracking the growth of two children over several years.
In the morning the party asked Dunham about the cabins before heading off. The barkeep apologized profusely and said that he must have forgotten to clean up after the previous renters. He also told the party that if they were ever in town and heard of someone looking for work to send them his way, as he was considering hiring a barmaid; when asked about Brunhilde he seemed to have no recollection of her. The party, uncomfortable with this development, left their horse and carriage with him before heading off into the forest.

NPC Notes

• Colbahr Half-foot is a dwarf whose family originally came from Douran-Hen. They used to be called the Fullfoots, but his great-grandfather Bolbahr Fullfoot lost half of his foot to a ballista bolt during a sea skirmish with Jairhold (he was on watch and had his feet up on the side of the ship to rest). Thereafter the family changed their name.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Don't You Forget About Me"

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Previous Chapter: A Mad Dash

Next Chapter: Lost in the Woods

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Ingame Date: 21-24^th of Rainseed, 1855
Real-Life Date: January 17, 2021
Protagonists:

• Precision
• Lethe Argie
• Erevan
• Aberchak Haverdak 

Featured NPCs:

• Victor Elan 
• Colbahr Half-foot
• Beckett Dunham

Locations:

• Einstap
• Ohnwaten
• Ernleb Forest
• Esperroch