Greasy Rag takes a deep breath, bids a possible farewell to his new-found friends, and plunges into Lolly’s bucket of suds. The water sloshes, sizzles, and foams. Multi-colored fumes rise from the surface of the noisesome water. A few bubbles grow and burst and then all is still. Cycek reaches in, grabs the limp rag, wrings it out, and plops it on the bar. All is quiet as the onlookers wait for a sign of life. Even Skids and Shaggi take an interest. Skids sighs, and says, “well that’s that… seems like the ‘ol bath did him in!” when suddenly the damp rag pops up into a heroic stance, and the familiar voice blurts out, “Haaapppyyyy Biiiirthdayyyy!!!”
Greasy Rag, still stained with who-knows-what, is no longer saturated with disgusting, smelly substances, yet he remains a sentient piece of barroom cleaning-up material. Everyone is thrilled. Except for Skids, who simply loses interest and goes back and drops into a chair next to Shaggi.
That done, the team decides that there is no point is waiting around before embarking upon their journey. Eager to earn some money toward the rehab of their decrepit bar, they decide to head out immediately. They discuss plans with Lolly. In their absence, she will pursue work estimates as agreed upon, and she will firmly supervise the otherwise somewhat lazy Skids and Shaggi. Their conversation is interrupted by a knock at the door. Two young acolytes (Tivai and Horgas) from the Church of St. Terragnis meekly open the door and announce that they are here to present a blessing of gratitude on behalf of the church, brother Tibalt, and the rest of the acolytes. Unfortunately, they also report that Father Baird has not returned to his old self and is, in fact, doing worse. He is combative and must be restrained. Tibalt is staying by his side in constant prayer, and the guards are keeping careful watch over their prisoner. Tivai and Horgas present the four each with a silver chain bearing the linked-rings, the holy symbol of St. Terragnis. They each accept the gift, but it is only Mishok who dares to wear his. His companions are simply too suspicious. They simply say their thanks and pack the items away in their travel bags. A few rather risqué remarks by Cycek leave the two acolytes feeling quite uncomfortable, so they take their leave as quickly as possible.
The four take their leave of the bar, intending to find horses to speed their travel, when they encounter Bontelan Wright coming up the street. He is heading to the Stoneyard, where he will pick up a wagon and draft horse to bear him south to Rennet’s Cove. The first day of his journey coincides with the route the party will take to reach Blasingdell, so he encourages them to join him on this, the first leg of their journey. He helps them secure horses from the Stoneyard stables (the foreman, their mutual acquaintance, is helpful in making this happen) and they set out through the south gate of the city.
The first day of their travel is uneventful, but they try to use their time with Bontelan Wright to their advantage. The ask him about what to expect in the coming day. He tells them that the road they will take into the hill country is much less traveled than the main road they are currently on, but it is not completely devoid of travelers. Blasingdell is an old, poor mining town. It once produced material for the gem market, particularly uncut sapphires that would then be processed in Shadowfurst (the famous Shadowfurst sapphires). But their resources dried up, and now they produce primarily marble for speciality building purposes, and artisanal salt from their salt mine. Neither venture is terribly lucrative, but they keep the town afloat.
When asked about Khundrukar, Bontelan reports that it is not clear where the entrance truly lies. Its proximity to the Stone Tooth is merely legend, but the fruits of his research suggest that the legend has some truth. To get there, they will need to travel through some true wilderness beyond Blasingdell, which lies at the western frontier.
Before they part ways, Mr. Wright leaves them with this piece of wisdom, “Be wary of strangers, yet not so untrusting as to turn your backs on potential allies. You may need assistance along the way, and it would behoove you to carefully discern friend from foe.”
With that, the companions turn from the main road, and they watch Bontelan Wright’s wagon disappear around the next bend. They head up the much narrower and less-well-maintained cart track up into the western hills. The terrain varies between forested areas, open meadows, and rocky outcroppings. There are ruined remnants of Azarumme visible here and there. Sometimes old pavers are visible beneath the dirt and gravel of the road. Bits of fallen walls, and parts of old statuary lie about in the underbrush, now covered with vines and worn from the passage of time. Around midday, they come across an unusual artifact: a strange statue of a peasant, rendered with exquisite realism and detail. The stone man stands with an almost confused look upon his face. His mouth hangs slightly open. He wears patched beeches and a simple tunic – the clothes of a commoner or farmer. He stands just off the trail. The statue looks like it was crafted recently, for it shows none of the marks of age, as do the prevalent ruins and artifacts in the vicinity. It reminds Cycek of the statue of a hunter that he encountered west of town earlier in the summer. They find in the grass nearby, a small leather pouch containing 7 silver pieces. Davros speculates that this is not a statue at all, but rather a person turned to stone by perhaps a medusa – a terrible creature of legend. They decide to maintain high degree of alert in case there is something dangerous lurking in the area.
They bed down for the night in the safety of a clearing and continue traveling the next morning. This day too passes without incident, except for the chance meeting with a traveler headed the other way. This is a man named Hilbert. He is driving a cart ladent with salt blocks from the Blasigndell salt mine to Shadowfurst for sale and distribution. He is nervous of the party, particularly due to Cycek’s impertinence. Hilbert tries to be polite and friendly, but Cycek toys with him, putting the poor man on his guard. Nevertheless, some productive discussion does emerge. The team learns that they should visit an inn called “The Salt of the Urth” and they might also consider getting to know the Shadwick family, a well-known family of locals who work for the mine. Wicklow, in particular, is a good young man. “Talk to Wicklow and thell him that Hillbert sends his regards.” The conversation becomes a bit awkward, as Cycek pulls out Greasy Rag (now dubbed Gothic G) and gets him to prattle inanely at the increasingly unnerved cart driver. Finally Davros interrupts, “What the hell are you doing? Just let the old guy go deliver his salt! He doesn’t have time for this and neither do we! He’s just some guy delivering salt… leave him alone and let’s go!” Much to Hillbert’s relief, the group decides to do just that. They take their leave and proceed up the road.
That evening, the group ride into Blasingdell. The town is sparse, dusty, and comprised of a loose collection of wood and stone houses, and very few shops. The few folks they see on the dirt streets look at them curiously and then continue on their way. Before long, they see warm lights glowing in a wooden building bearing a rough sign that reads “Salt of the Urth Public House.” They open the creaking wooden door and enter the establishment. The interior is far from fancy, but it is clean snd tidy. Oil lamps glow here and there and candles flicker on the tables. A dozen or so common folk sit scattered about the room, chatting with each other. A large man with a bushy grey beard and a bald head wipes glasswear behind the bar. He welcomes the party vigorously, “Come in, guests! We don’t have travelers here often, but it is good to see some fresh faces. Make yourselves at home! My name is Urth, the owner of this establishment!” Introductions are made, and Urth offers them the first round on the house. Cycek reveals Gothic G, and although the other patrons are shocked by this strange creature, it turns out that Urth is in fact acquainted with the greasy rag. He explains that he is familiar with the Yur Inn (an atrocious place of ill repute that he views an embarrassment to the profession of pub ownership). He was no fan of Yuri, but he did travel to Shadowfurst from time to time to do business. As much as he did not care for Yuri Rattal or his establishment, Yuri did have a line on some specialty liquors that Urth would make a special trip into the city to purchase for his own patrons. Thus he got to know the strange little talkative rag. Gothic G, for his part, leapt onto Urth and hugged his big grey beard.
Urth encourages the four newcomers to be at their ease. He informs them that his clientele consists of hard-working locals, who may be a bit shy, but he assures them that they are all good people. To break the ice, he announces them to the room, encouraging his patrons to join him in showing them the hospitable side of Blasingdell.