Chapter 2 – into the darkness

The party arrived at Mineshaft Manor, a warm and bustling tavern owned by the red-haired dwarf Gottri, intending to celebrate a successful venture involving the appropriation by less than legal means of authentic wood elf relics. However, their celebration was interrupted by a heated confrontation between Gottri and Kaspar, the magistrate’s second son, a well-dressed nobleman accompanied by two friends. Kaspar was furious because Lysa, a young blonde woman he had paid to see, was not present as expected, and he threatened to use his family’s influence to shut down the establishment. The party observed the tense scene, with some members scrutinizing Kaspar and noting his underlying hurt and his companions’ intoxication. Pushka attempted to de-escalate the situation by aggressively befriending Kaspar with drinks and flattery, but her efforts failed. Mora then stepped in, fabricating a story about Lysa being injured in a fight, which momentarily shifted Kaspar’s anger to genuine concern. Pushka further diffused the situation by drawing Kaspar’s attention away from Mora, and Gottri intervened, offering Kaspar his money back and promising to speak with Lysa. Kaspar accepted the money, issued a warning about future disrespect, and began to leave with his friends.

As Kaspar and his companions exited, Mora spotted a tripwire set between chairs by local urchins, intended to trigger a bucket of dishwater to fall on him. She attempted to warn Kaspar, but he was distracted and did not hear her. When he tripped the wire, Mel reacted with lightning reflexes, throwing a dagger that struck the bucket mid-air and deflected the water, preventing Kaspar from being soaked. Kaspar noticed the clanging bucket but did not realize he had been the target of a prank or that he had been saved. Eddie quickly moved to conceal the tripwire and bucket, acting as if she had been carrying it and apologizing to Kaspar, who, though confused, accepted the apology and left without further incident. The urchins, including their leader Half-Bite and her one-eyed schnauzer Winky, were revealed to be the perpetrators, laughing from under the tables. Gottri expressed her gratitude to the party for their intervention and revealed her growing concern for Lysa, who had been missing for two days.

Gottri informed the party that Lysa was last seen with loggers and had not checked in, which was unusual for her. The party discussed approaching the loggers in the tavern to gather information. Pushka and Eddie approached Bruna, one of Gottri’s girls and a bard, a tall, flirtatious, buxom dancer who was popular with the loggers. Bruna confirmed that Lysa had a gig at the logging camp two days prior and left that night. She also informed the party that the logging camp gates closed at dusk and that the foreman, Nicoll, was the key to gaining access. Bruna successfully charmed the loggers and learned that Lysa was at the camp two days ago, danced for them, and left that night after dark. She relayed that Nicoll had extended an invitation for Bruna’s “friends” to visit the camp anytime. The party discussed the implications and decided to investigate the logging camp and the road the following morning. Pushka inquired about Kaspar’s frequency of visits, learning he came every other day, which set a deadline for Lysa’s return. The party returned to the Ironwhite shop to plan their next steps and prepare for the journey.

Eddie’s hidden black powder implements remained successfully concealed from Mora, the roadwarden, despite her presence in the same residence. The next morning, the party set out on the half-day walk to the logger’s camp, carefully examining the road for clues along the way. The party geared up and traveled through the cold, late October landscape, but found no clues on the road during their journey. Upon arriving at the logger’s camp, they were met with a tense and unwelcoming atmosphere. The camp was surrounded by a stockade of sharpened trunks with a heavy, open gate, and was filled with busy loggers, cabins, and stacks of timber. The loggers eyed the party with quick, unfriendly glances, and conversation faltered as they entered. The mess hall was noted, where a heavyset cook named Oswald stirred a cauldron, scowling at the party’s arrival. Foreman Nicoll, recognizing Mora, expressed annoyance at their visit, his hand resting on his belt in a cautious, warning manner.

Mora, using her authority as a roadwarden, confronted Nicoll, stating they were on a time crunch and were friends of the bard, seeking information about Lysa. Pushka provided moral support during the interaction. A logger thanked Mora for recovering his horse, which caused Nicoll to reconsider his stance and become more cooperative. Mora asked Nicoll if Lysa had any protection when she left, and Nicoll became cagey, insisting they were respectful and that she left on her own. He confirmed Lysa was at the camp two days prior, danced, was paid, and left before dusk, denying any responsibility for her disappearance. Meanwhile, Mel approached the cook, Oswald, complimenting his stew and connecting with him over cooking lore. Mel revealed that Lysa was at the camp two days ago, hungry and disheveled with hay in her hair, and that he fed her stew and rolls after the gates had closed, implying she stayed past curfew. Faye, the sharp-eyed wood elf observed that Nicoll and another logger seemed nervous and glanced frequently at a specific young, buff, blonde logger.

The party decided to search for a stable or any place with hay, following the clue from Oswald about Lysa’s disheveled appearance. Mora used her survival skills to track mule prints leading to a stable structure and identified smaller, feminine tracks within the muddy ground. When Mora asked about a warm stable or a place someone might stay after gates closed, the person she asked became nervous and glanced at the young man. The party entered the stables, which housed mules and heavy carts. Faye and Mora investigated an empty stall, finding flattened hay consistent with someone lying down, blonde hairs too long for anyone in the camp, and charcoal bits. Eddie discovered a brown, goopy, caustic substance stuck to the side of the stall, which caused a burning sensation upon contact. Using his engineering and cooking knowledge, Eddie identified the substance as a powerful, concentrated lye base, noting its unusual presence and smell. The party recalled that charcoal was made by charbonniers on the far side of the camp, suggesting a potential source for the lye. They discussed the implications of finding lye and charcoal, noting its potential use for dissolving bodies and the danger it posed.

Faye scrutinized the young, blonde, buff logger, noticing his nervousness and evasiveness when the party was nearby. Mel helped the young man balance a heavy log he was lifting, making his task more comfortable and earning his momentary relief. Mora drew her sword and patrolled the perimeter, creating a distraction and drawing attention away from the group’s direct approach to the young man. The party discussed the best approach to question him, considering whether to use a leadership or charm-based tactic to avoid him shutting down. A party member approached the young logger to ask about the missing woman, Lysa. The young logger’s face turned ashen when Lysa’s name was mentioned, indicating he might know something about her disappearance, leaving the party on the verge of uncovering the truth. With further questioning, Ebbens, the young logger, admits that Lysa did come to see him after she danced, and that the two of them had some passionate times in the stall. He went back to sleep at the tents with the rest of the loggers, while she remained behind in the stall to sleep since the camp had closed its gates. That’s the last time he saw her, and she was alive and well. Faye scrutinizes the man and he seems to be genuinely worried for Lysa.

The party ventured to the charbonniers’ camp following the clues that they found in the stall. Ash drifted through the cold air like snowfall, clinging to hair and cloth as they approached a scene of industrial desolation. Four squat huts, their walls blistered and stained with soot, stood in a loose ring with dark, hollow windows and sealed doors. At the center rose a massive, two-story timber structure known as a “Meule,” used for charcoal production, its surface glowing with ember veins like volcanic stone. The ground around it pulsed with heat, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of burned wood, bitter ash, and a caustic sting that bit at the back of the throat. A ring of barrels on crude wooden frames leaked into a large tub, part of a lye-making operation, though the smell was unusually thick and putrid. Faye noticed a totem atop a tall pole bearing a sigil she recognized personally, adding an ominous note to the already unsettling scene.