Things take a decidedly spooky turn…what with the gang getting close to finding Gustoff’s Goat. Do the denizens of Norhall Town harbor a dark secret? Or are they just confused by all of the questions? The answer may be too spooky to find out!
Barv Thistlebrand is offended by the would-be adventurers accusation that he would have stolen the goat of Gustoff. He points at them in anger, prompting Smash to try to grab it. He fails,which makes Barv angrier, but doesn't kick them out, yet. Zin uses his Exacting Query ability to persuade him to speak to them, but he rolls a Natural 20 and detects it. He grows even angrier, but still doesn't kick them out. Before he slams the door, Val uses her Position of Privilege trait, prompting him to listen to her. He lets them in to look around He also offers his opinion that Meera Hearthglenn is the one who stole the goat. She, he explains, is in love with Gustoff's son, Gurd. The Hearthglenns are notoriously untrustworthy, according to Barv. He offers them cheese, and Smash pays him 1 silver piece, which makes his day. He apologizes for his behavior, but re-affirms that he did not steal the goat, pointing them in Meera Hearthglenn's direction. He sells Val goat's milk soap for 50 copper pieces.
They go to Hearthglenn Meadery, where a large Half-Orc in a bee costume greets them. Smash speaks to him, asking about the goat. The Half-Orc hasn't seen it, but knows all about Gustoff and Gurd and Meera. He tells them that Meera is inside, and they go see her. Val tells her that they are friends with Gurd, and Meera responds by asking where he is. She seems worried about him, but knows nothing about the whereabouts of the damned goat (though she suspects the Thistlebrands have it). Bek senses there is a lie in there somewhere. Zin wants to know if the bees are treated well. She claims they are the happiest bees in all of Norhall Proper. Val asks when she last saw Gurd, to which the answer is, toward Jabber's house. Jabber and he were competing for Meera's affections, it seems, and Gurd was growing frustrated. This was three days ago. Smash wants to drink, but Prime tells him they are on a job, and shouldn't do that, promising they can come back later (Zin doesn't want to come back). Meera tries ushering them out, and Val senses that she is being overly protective of Gurd. They decide to leave without pressing the matter.
Prime suggests they head to the scene of the crime, where the goat disappeared. They agree so they do that. Gurd/Gustoff's house is on Root Street. It is a farm house, in the sense of we might think of today. Kind of dirty, on a dirt road, with a fence around it where the goat would be kept. The fence looks a little damaged. After some investigation (and perception, animal handling, and arcana), they get the sense that the destruction looks to be from a large, strange creature, and seems to be focused in an outward direction, almost as if something broke out of the fence, rather than into it...
Gustoff returns home, and seems nervous. Prime asks where Gurd is, which causes Gustoff to tense up. Val can tell she is lying. They press him on this, and he admits that Gurd has been acting strangely. He says the last time he saw his son was two days ago. They had an argument about him marrying Meera, and he stormed off. Gustoff says he has been sneaking out at night, to see Meera, he assumed. Bek determines that the tracks from the fence lead off to the woods, and relays this to Smash in Orc. They ask what Scrapple's favorite snack is, and he gives them some spicy kale for him. They leave and trek through the woods, following the tracks. It's a long journey, lasting well into the night. Bek uses her Ring of Enchanted Light to guide their way. She fires a light arrow into the forest and illuminates a gruesome scene in a clearing: a bloody, ripped-apart goat, a dead body, and a skinny human in tattered clothing, covered in blood and shaking. As they approach, the figure looks up sharply, with large, crazed eyes. He warns them to get back, and instead of doing that, they ask if the dead body is Jabber. He only moans and then takes on the form of a giant werewolf! That's when they notice two other werewolves nearby, and all three attack! Prime smashes his new magical picture frame on the wolf's head, and then the were-wolf, Gurd, calls out for more wolves to show up, which they do.
Short[]
The party investigates around for Scrapple the Goat. They ask a few people, including Barv Thistlebrand, Meera Hearthglenn, and Gustoff. At the home of Gustoff and Gurd, they discover a huge monster has broken out of the goat gate. They follow the tracks out into the forest, where they find the dead goat, and Gurd as a werewolf! Gurd attacks, along with a pack of other wolves! Oh, no!
Trivia[]
Meera is a halfling, in love with Gustoff's son, gurd
Zin is vegan
Barv attempted to sell Val a goat's hair doily. God knows...
He also offers the following products:
Goat milk
Goat Cheese
Goat milk-based soaps
Goat jerky
Bek speaks Orc
Tim catches a moth during this episode
Scratch that, he catches many moths
Something about a Harvest Dance coming up
Today is Scrapple's the Goats birthday
He loves kale. Spicy kale.
Bek's Ring of Enchanted Light allows her to make her arrows glow magically
