After many heart wrenching, cheek pinching, hair tousling reunions, Molistead returns with the following:

“The town’s in trouble. The sa-ge guy thing, I don’t trust him, moved in after I left and these mushrooms ate the store. Anyway, things are pretty bad, and you shouldn’t go to the temple, because you’ll die like the rest of the people there . . . something about plaque, I think.”

Annu, having come to know Molistead, pipes in with “A plague. Perhaps I could be of service”, and falls through a conveniently contrived plot-hole. :) Opening up a space for “Mr. Travens, Sir” (an imposing older gentleman dressed in black banded mail) to enter.

“Ah, Aaron, back from that wizards college I see. They didn’t happen to teach you anything about scrying or divinations that could help us find out what’s happened to a couple of wagons did they?” he asks.

Molistead, being who he is, replies that “Why yes they did. No, wait, they didn’t. But I could, ya know, if you got me a scrying glass or a magic crystal ball or something like that.” Xon asks, “Aren’t they really expensive?”

After a bit of confusing dialogue, Mr. Travens turns to Xon and Falahara. “Perhaps I should be speaking with you. As you’ve heard the town’s in trouble. We had to burn the town’s stores, else that fungus would have decimated the whole place. It was lucky our new sage was in town and that he could tell us how to safely destroy the pestilence. I just wish the price had not been so high, we don’t have much food left. We sent immediately to the next town over for supplies. Both food, and some herbs that the Father needs to treat those who have recently fallen ill with the burning sickness. The wagons should have been here yesterday. Four of the town guard went with the merchants to make the purchase, and I sent two more of my boys out to meet the wagons this morning. They haven’t reported back, and I’m beginning to worry. Maybe you could go out and see what’s going on. Probably they’ve just lost track of time, or one of the wagons broke a wheel or something. But with only two of the town guard remaining, I am loathe to leave town myself. Will you . . .”

At this point, Ravensong’s presence is noticed as she interrupts, “I hear that you are the head of the town guard. I’ve been tracking a war band of orcs for many months now. I lost their trail near here. I came here to warn you of their presence, and from your story, I think it likely that they may already be causing this town some trouble. I have already sworn to hunt them to the last orc. To the extent that it parallels my own duty, I will gladly find out what I may about your missing wagons.”

After a very brief discussion of reward (Xon waving his usually modest fee for such services) our band of heroes agree to aid the town with Ravensong’s help. Stopping off first at the fletcher for some information (Do you recognize these bows, these arrows, etc. yeah, the arrows look like Tarrant’s work, and the bows I sold to a halfling trader nigh on twenty years ago . . . three way deal . . . I got some nice darkwood for it . . . and Travens footed the bill . . . ) the group takes to the northern road.