Harping by Firelight (Campfire etiquette)

This section tells of traveling custom and courtesy in the Moonshaes. It will aid the DM in providing both color and atmosphere to Moonshavian adventures as well as provide golden opportunities for feeding PCs new ideas (such as the rumors found in Appendix 8) that point to further adventures.
The Moonshaes remain islands of mystery, covered by extensive wilderness, stalked by dangerous monsters aplenty, and blessed with a rugged natural beauty, all of which feed the rich and intermingled legends of the Llewyrr, the Ffolk, the Northmen, and the halflings and dwarves. All have their fireside tales and, for the needs of simple survival in the Moonshaes, all share such tales with travelers they camp with at night in an ironclad custom of mutual safety.
Simply put, anyone whose campfire a traveler approaches at night is duty bound to share their camp -- its facilities, food, and companionship -- in return for the shared food and companionship of the traveler. Those who share the fireside are honor bound not to raise blade against each other until after they have parted in the morning mists, even if they are sworn enemies or there is a blood feud between their families.
The "guestfire" or "wayfire" is a merry place except in the coldest and dampest weather. All travelers are welcome, hot mead or cider kept for them by the fire, sometimes with stew or hot herbed and buttered potatoes cooking among the coals. Everyone who knows a tale, recent news, local legends or lore, or a song contributes it. By tradition, the owner of the fire commands the converse; but, by courtesy, any bard present will lead the talk. Most guestfires are warm, cozy meeting places, that can be heard from afar by their singing and harping.
Guestfires generally attract the attention of local beasts (boars, in particular, seem partial to direct musical criticism) as well as those Moonshavians who are not bound by their honor-thieves, brigands, firbolgs, and the like. Therefore, experienced travelers around an open wayfire in the wilds keep their weapons close to hand and watchful eyes on the surrounding darkness.
At any wayfire, jokes are told, current news passed around, songs sung and lore retold -- and the DM can feed PCs pertinent game information. A wayfire is the best place to learn of nearby sages, swordsmiths, and trouble; one might also receive a lecture on what went wrong at that dragon’s lair, from some old coot in tattered robes who just happens to be Flamsterd or Khelben Arunsun wandering about incognito.
Far more often to be met with around a wayfire than such worthies as Flamsterd or Khelben are local hunters and land-sergeants watching over the hunting preserves of their local lord. These rangers travel without uniform and keep their eyes open for brigands and poachers. Wandering druids also frequent wayfires as they travel about the land, tending it and watching for changes in the Balance.
Most importantly, bards and all manner of other folk who are Harpers (or allied to their cause) travel about the lands, keeping constant watch on the doings of war and greed, collecting local lore for its own sake and as the stuff around which to build new ballads. It is rare to find a wayfire without at least one aspiring bard, although greater bards are always seem too few to go around in the Isles.
The wise traveler in the Moonshaes keeps eyes and ears open at wayfires and joins wayfire on every night that opportunity permits -- for it is said, most truly, that the wise adventurer lives longer and retires richer.
During this adventure, the DM should use wayfires to feed current rumors to the PCs (see Appendix 8) as well as to help them figure out what evil is afoot in the Moonshaes. Most Ffolk may not know of the Cult by name or that its members worship Bane, but many suspect that the growing brigand and undead attacks are linked to the "cruel priests who wear the black hand," men who serve or are led by a mysterious, evil "Dark Druid."