Interlude: After the battle in the Shadowfurst Guard Tower, and the rescue of the Strongbows, the “guest” troops that have arrived with Countess Velnarian’s entourage have worked with the mayor’s administration to keep the peace in the city, and root out the corrupt guards. Spring turns into summer, and summer carries on toward autumn. During this time there are no further incidents of major unrest, but there is a simmering sense of unease. The people of Shadowfurst have mixed feelings about the monarchy overseas. There are those who decry that the crown has lost interest in these provinces, and neither invest in them nor vigorously defend them. There are others, sometimes the same people, who enjoy the relative independence of the provinces and resent any interference from the crown. Either way, the presence of Royal soldiers in the streets, not to mention the Countesses troops, is deeply unsettling to many citizens. There are rumors afoot of broader issues that are keeping the soldiers here. The four adventurers become enlightened on these matters in the mid-summer when they are called to a meeting that is to include the mayor, the Countess, and Bontelan Wright.

In the summer months following the Shadowfurst Four’s defeat of Donwald and the suppression of the unrest by Countess Velnarion’s guards and the royal garrison, the Four have taken up temporary residence at the Three Javelins Inn. On the morning of their scheduled meeting with the mayor and the countess, they find that they are overstaying their welcome at the inn. The owner, Randall Roanstoll, is the mayor’s brother-in-law and has been doing him the favor of putting a roof over the heads of the Four while the Yur Inn is being investigated by the authorities. He is growing weary of the drain on his resources and has begun to imply that he would like them to soon move on or begin paying for their room and board.

During this time, the adventurers have been honing their skills and getting to know the City of Shadowfurst.

Sartan has been perfecting his swordsmanship. Demonsbane has been growing restless and insists that there are very likely still some demons roaming the countryside who have slipped through the random portals that had opened last spring. The sword is eager to pursue the demons.

Mishok has gotten to know Father Baird at the Church of St. Terragnis as well as his chief acolyte Tibalt Throgsden, a dwarf who knows some of the dwarven lore of the region. He tells Mishok of the legend of Durgeddin the Black and his bladeworks in the western foothills. Furthermore, in his interest in pursuing his craft, Mishok has received several leads. He has learned of a co-op of craftspeople on the north side of town where, for a fee, he can lease a portion of a shop, where he can have the space and many of the tools he will need to pursue his work. Alternately, the foreman of the Stoneyard has offered Mishok a full-time job, with the promise that he will be permitted to use their facilities for his own work after-hours.

Cycek has been exploring the blufflands to the west of town. He has encountered a set of large reptilian tracks along with numerous booted humanoid tracks. The reptilian tracks were difficult to decipher. There was something odd about them, as if there were several creatures walking in close proximity, or more legs than a quadruped would have. As he followed these track, he happened upon a strange statue. The area is generally littered with the ruins of an ancient culture: bits of walls, old sections or road, even decrepit, crumbling sculptures. But this statue was unusual in its realistic detail and its relatively good condition. It was a life-sized sculpture of a crouching hunter with a drawn bow. Nearby he found an unremarkable intact arrow. There was no evidence of it having been dragged or otherwise moved there.

Davros has spent his downtime womanizing. He has been having relations with as many women as he could seduce. In fact, as the party explores the town on this particular morning, a woman that he scarcely recognizes rushed up to him. She wears the garb of a wealthy woman, yet she is gushing over Davros is a highly emotional manner, exclaiming “Oh Davros, I’ve missed you! I’ve been hoping I’d see you again. I brought you this gift!” She reaches out and places a ruby jeweled necklace around his neck. She continues, “It looks so good on you! My husband is out of town on business tonight. Come, meet me at our special place!”

Davros brushes her off, and she shortly leaves. But he is very suspicious of the jewelry she has given him. He takes it off and stows it in his pack.

The four explorers visit R. Morey’s Blades and Bows, a shop run by a man named Rumpah J. Morey. They don’t care for his prices, and they haggle with him. In fact, Sartan has his eye on a special shield. Rumpah describes it as having been made and blessed by the monks from the Monastery of Tyr in the south. His asking price is 150gp and Sartan is outraged. They haggle but come to no agreement. Rumpah expresses interest in purchasing the swords carried by Mishok and Sartan, but again come to no agreement. The party leaves having purchased a number of arrows.

Next they visit an establishment known as “The Fieldhouse.” This store is an outfitter carrying all sorts of items for travel, for outdoor activities, as well as tools and light building materials for farms, etc. The owner, Bruna Buckskin rebuffs all attempts to haggle with her, insisting that her prices are fair and honest. She takes particular offense to attempts to persuade her with sexual innuendo. They leave after making a few minor purchases.

The morning passes and soon the times comes when they are to meet with the mayor and countess. They return to the town square and the site of the guard tower.

 The group is met at the grand stairway by a quartet of heavily armored royal soldiers along with two of Mayor Strongbow’s personal guards. They escort the party up to the mayor’s meeting hall, just one floor down from where they had battled Councilman Donnwald’s corrupt town guards just a few months before.

The four are greeted cordially by the mayor, and led to chairs at a long table across from Bontelan Wright, Wendella, and Elchor Grafton (the old man who was beaten by Donnwalds thugs in attempt to wrest from him the password to activate the stone guardian). At the head of the table is Countess Velnarion. She is a tall regal woman with a shaved head but wearing a silver tiara studded with red gemstones.

She is all business.

“We have asked you to attend this council, to discuss the events in which you were involved this past spring, and how they may relate to the challenges that now face us as summer turns to autumn. The seasons are changing for this part of the world in more ways than the usual.”

The mayor takes up the story

“Before you came, there were rumors of goblin raids in the farmland. Something that few, including myself took seriously. But, after you returned from your… “explorations” in the blufflands. After you returned with my daughter, we learned that there were not only goblins in the areas, but more disturbingly, hobgoblins.

Elchor chimes in, adding his historical expertise to the conversation:

“During the height of the hobgoblin wars more than a century ago, as history and legend tell it, the provincial and royal armies had an alliance with a Dwarven tribe in the mountains. A reknowned dwarven smith known as Durgeddin the Black supplied the provincial forces with weapons of unsurpassed craftsmanship and power. He and his clan were fierce enemies of the hobgoblins.

They dwelt in a great cavern system beneath the Stone Tooth: a rugged, forested hill  crowned by a bare rocky crag. There Durgeddin and his followers founded the stronghold of Khundrukar.

But things turned ill for The Dwarves of Khundrukar. A member of Durgeddin’s clan was captured by a powerful hobgoblin tribe during a raid, and the hobgoblin horde learned of the hidden stronghold. The hobgoblin chieftains redeployed their forces and marched on Khundrukar. In a hard-fought siege lasting months, the hobgoblin tunneled around the dwarven defenses. When they finally stormed the place, they put all within to the sword, then carried off wagonloads of loot.

But the war in the east was by then lost by the goblinoid horde. They were driven back into the mountains by the combined royal and provincial forces. It was believed that the hobgoblins occupying Durgeddin were driven away in the ensuing purge.

In the years since, Khundrukar has fallen into legend. It is unknown if the caverns have remained abandoned, or if creatures from the mountains have slunk into them to make their abode there. Either way, local lore has often speculated at the presence of stores of the dwarves’ magnificent weaponry. There is a belief that the hobgoblins never made their way to the Dwarven Forge – almost a sacred space to the dwarves, and one that would have been well protected. Does Khundrukar still hold a cache of powerful weapons?”

The countess adds:

“Given your recent encounters with hobgoblins, and further reports from the south, it can be fairly concluded that the hobgoblins are seeking a new stronghold, to establish a new presence nearer to these lands that they would undoubtedly like to re-conquer. Your rogue wizard’s little “achaeological site” may have served as a just such a stronghold. But, our fear is that they may have their sights on Khundrukar again. We’d like to prevent that from happening. And moreso, the discovery of the weapons forged by Durgeddin the Black, could help turn the tides in the conflict that will almost certainly come. We want those weapons in our hands, not in the hands of our enemies.”

Bontelan Wright gets to the point:

We are asking you to investigate the lost caverns of Khandrukar. We want:

• Information. Are hobgoblins taking root there?
• If so, we want to keep both the weapons and the stronghold itself out of their hands
• If any weapons bearing Durggedin’s mark: swords can be retrived, they will be valuable assets to the protection of our lands
• This exploratory venture weapons could also prove lucrative to you. We will pay handsomely for any such weapons you retrieve, however, we insist that we have the first right of purchase of these weapons. Additionally, you are welcome to claim any other discoveries or treasure for your own.”

The countess interjects:

“Most importantly, this is for the safety of our lands. The cities are rife with barely supressed unrest, the royal government is providing little support or security, our economic independence is shaky, and our fear is that there is more going on in the mountains, in the unpopulated lands than we know. If fear we have been complacent too long and that disaster looms on the horizon.”

She tells them of the death of Count Fortuno Moldavia in the south. She was journeying to Moldavia from her home in Stihlport to attend the funereal services for the departed count when they arrived in Shadowfurst. Obviously, there was a full-scale riot in progress upon their arrival. So she, as the regional authority, has remained to deal with the situation in Shadowfurst, but now there is also a troubling power vacuum in County Moldavia. She would have preferred to keep the unpopular royal garrison from becoming involved – but that has proven impossible. They became a necessary asset in taking control of the situation in Shdowfurst. “We are on the one hand left unprotected by lax commitment from the crown in terms of force of arms, but on the other hand, we’re free. Now, we have cases of unrest and corruption to deal with, but we are concerned about the threat of hobgoblins.”

Davros brazenly expresses his skepticism of this plan, asking “Why would we go on this dangerous mission for you? We could do that on our own if we wanted and keep everything for ourselves anyway!”

The countess is angry at this, calling upon them to remember that these are their homelands at risk here. “Throughout history, heros have risen to selflessly protect what is good in our society. I had hoped that you four, being so highly regarded by Mr. Wright and Mayor Strongbow, would possess these heroic qualities.”

Bontelan is conciliatory. He says, “of course, you should be able to take some time to think about this. It is an undertaking with some risk, but one with great rewards, and one that I have confidence is well within you capabilities.” He goes on to explain that he wants this group of operatives because of their resourcefulness, their skills, their experience with exploration and infiltration. Mere soldiery may be good in face to face combat on a battlefield, or to provide urban security. But this task requires specialists. He continues, “I have other operatives in the field in other places. But you are my best at this time and in this place. And again, this could be lucrative. You may keep whatever treasures you may find, but we want first rights to purchase any weapons with Durgeddin’s mark.” He also mentions that decades ago, he had sent an exploratory team for purely commercial reasons – obtaining antiquities that he could sell. He never heard from that team again, and he has no way of knowing if they simply took what they found and absconded, or if they met their end in Khundrukar. “Nevertheless, this is a different time, our goals are much more noble, and you are a more skilled and more seasoned team.”

The meeting come to an end, and the party is asked to return with their answer two days hence.

They decide that they should go investigate their newly-acquired property across town, the dive bar known as the Yur Inn. On their way, they encounter a shady man who has some wares he’d like to sell. He identifies himself as Smenga and tries to interest them a several unusual items. He recognizes Davros as a man who gets with the ladies. He has for sale a vial of a substance known as “Oil of Slipperiness.” He touts its virtues in lovemaking, but further asserts that if used all at once, it can get you out of some very tight situations. The price is steep and his salesmanship fails him and no one in the party takes an interest. Next, he tries to interest them in an item known as a “Wand of Scowls.” He waves it at some passers-by, cries “howlo scowlo!” and the hapless citizens faces immediately take on angry, scowling expressions. Again the party has no interest. Nor do they take an interest in the useful, but very expensive, “Potion of Extra Healing.” Smenga is disappointed and incredulous, insisting, “Man, this could save your life some day! And it’s not worth it to you!?” Mishok tells him that he is in the market for a specific item if he can find it, an item known as a “Belt of Dwarvenkind.” Smenga has never heard of such a thing, but he has some contacts among Dwarves and he will see what he can do. He tells Mishok to meet him in in this very spot in two days and he will have an answer as to whether this item is available or not.

They part ways with Smenga and proceed to the Yur Inn. They had only seen the place in the dark previously, and it is certainly no better looking in the daylight. The name of the establishment is sloppily painted above the door with an unprofessional hand. There is rubbish in the street and a pair of stinky outhouses behind the place, where it seems many users did not even bother going inside to do their business. Mishok pushes open the door and the group enters. They see a dusty room filled with shabby barroom furniture. Cycek crosses behind the bar and examines a variety of half-filled bottles. It’s unclear what each bottle holds… most likely low-grade liquor. Seems as if any better spirit either never had a home here or were spirited away be perhaps the guards during their investigations.

Cycek finds behind the bottles a strange creature. It appears to be an animated greasy rag. In fact, it introduces itself to him as “Greasy Rag” or “GR” for short. This strange creature apparently sprung into sentience by having absorbed all manner of substances ranging from the blood of strange creatures, liquor, potions, urine, poison, and who knows what. GR is quite friendly and overly garrulous, going on and on about all manner of things, but most notably the fact that there a couple of blokes squatting upstairs. He also informs them of some of the background of the establishment. Yuri Rattal, the previous owner, had run the place as the hub of criminal activity in the city. It was an open secret that this was the place where stolen goods could exchange hands, and all sorts of nefarious planning would take place. Yuri was arrested following the death of Donnwald, and the authorities were in and out of the place for weeks. Now, the gregarious bit of filthy fabric has sadly been left alone behind the bar with no one to talk to, except for the two upstairs who have simply chosen to ignore him.

While Cycek has this strange conversation, Mishok checks out a hatch in the floor of the kitchen. It opens into a cellar that at one time stored beer barrels. Those barrels are now gone, removed, he assumes, by the guards, judging by the drag marks toward the cellar door. There are a few chairs and work surfaces, and also evidence of a crumbling wall, but no sign of current occupants. Satisfied, he closes the hatch.

Mishok, Cycek, and Sartan decide to investigate these supposed “squatters” upstairs. They ascend the staircase as quietly as they can, which is virtually impossible given the rickety state of the wood. They squeak loudly. They find themselves in a narrow hallway with squeaky wooden floors. They listen at several doors. Sartan opens the nearest one and finds a tiny squalid room with dirty bed linens and cheap furnishings. He thinks he hear sounds coming from one of the doors down the hall. Mishok joins him to investigate. They throw open the door and are confronted by two people standing upon the beds flanking the door. They have weapons drawn and are poised to attack as soon as the door opens. They yell, but check their blows. One is a large, hairy, barbarous looking man wielding a huge sword, and the other is a Halfling with a pointed rapier. The halfling yells “Yaaaahhhh!!! Oh, wait! Wait! Wait! It’s you! We know you guys! Oh man, we thought it was the guards here to throw us out! Oh what a relief!”

The party recognizes these two as a pair they had met months ago at the the Duskhaven Den. This is the pair of travelers who refused to help Avita Ploughman, and who in fact had roughly shoved her away. They had also shared a drink or two with the party the following morning before parting ways.

The halfling, who does nearly all the talking, reintroduces them as Shaggi snd Skids. Cycek insists that they explain their presence on private property. Skids gives him a story about being travelers trying to make a living in a tough world, and that they just needed a place to stay, and seeing as no one was using the place, they figured there was no harm in taking a room.

In the ensuing conversation, Skids admits that the pairs’ activities have not always been strictly legal, for instance they may have stolen a horse or two, or maybe been involved in some smuggling, but they haven’t done anything seriously bad. But, he says, if they have to leave they understand. They are used to being on the road.

The party asks them if they know anything about a place known as the Stone Tooth. Skids says he knows of it, but he has never been there. He has never been farther west than Moose Maynard’s encampment out on the Bandit’s Highway in the blufflands. He describes Moose Maynard as a father figure among the underground society of bandits, smugglers, and others who live outside the law. His place is one of respite for those who have been traveling outside the realm of the official provincial boundaries. Skids goes on to say that he has met people at Moose Maynard’s who have travelled in the western wilderness, and says that it sounds much too perilous for his taste. But there may be individuals there who could help you find the Stone Tooth.

After more conversation an agreement is reached that Skids and Shaggi can stay as caretakers for the property while the Four are gone. They expect that the place will be well cared-for and that no illegal activities will take place there. In essence, Skids and Shaggi can stay as long as they make sure no damage or misdeeds take place in the absence of the Shadowfurst Four, the new rightful owners of the Yur Inn.