4 July 1280, Afternoon/Evening (Accepting the Captain's Offer)

"You found her! You found my Elsie! I knew you'd bring my Elsie back to me, I just knew it!"

Gaven turns to Mrs. Miggins, "No need to thank us for performing our sworn duty. You should thank Bill Barley for valiantly protecting Elsie."

Mrs. Miggins lets go of her daughter long enough to embrace Gaven and hands him a small pouch containing 5 gems – certainly worth 100 gp each, totaling the promised reward amount.

Gaven thanks Mrs. Miggins, "My share will be donated to the temple, thank you."

Mother and daughter then leave the room, hand in hand.

Gaven approaches Bob Barley with a mournful look, "You have my and the Light's condolences. We wish to return Bill's saddle and dagger to you. He bravely protected Elsie and gravely injured the goblin's Lieutenant. You should be very proud of his actions. We laid him to rest atop Lover's Grove."

Barley nods at Gaven's words. "This saddle belonged to Bill's older brother. He died too some years back. An illness." He sighs. "I thank you for returning his effects. I haven't much to offer you, but you should keep the dagger. You'll likely find more use for it than I."

Gaven replies: "The Light calls for us all at different times and for different reasons. Rest assured, Bill is where he should be."

Duran then goes to Bob Barley and, as is the custom in his village of Ashwood, presents the grieving father with a broken arrow saying "May your son's soul fly true to the world beyond."

At that, Bill's father, controlling his emotions with difficulty, leaves the room as well.

When the door closes the you find yourselves alone with the captain once more.

Oloc is more than happy with the agreement with the Captain, and Duran nods in agreement to the Captain's offer.

"Captain Belloc," says Varros, "your offer is generous and fair, you have my services."

Gaven also says to Belloc, "I agree to your terms, Captain. We know the goblins are from Stagwood, where do you think we should start?"

The captain again draws you near to the wall map. "Given what we do know, the most likely place for them to be is here," he says pointing an area up the Woodfield road, just north of the Coldstream. If they intend to come down to raid the outlying areas around Fairbrook, that's where I think they'd have to be."

OOC: The red hex is the area where the captain thinks the goblins are massing.

"It's an area of mostly open ground, but there are some woods in various locations, as well as small scrub-filled low spots that could hide a host that size. You'll also find the ruins of Blackwell up on a hill in that area, as you, no doubt, already know. But if our goblins are of the forest variety, I suspect you'd be more likely to find them outdoors."

"You also won't be likely to find them on the road, I shouldn't think. We have messengers and merchants that pass up and down the roads, who've reported no contact with a large band. If you start on the road though, you will come in a few hours to a branch east that will take you to an inn by the roadside. Enough locals and travelers stop in there that it could be a good source of information. That might be easier than trying to systematically scour the entire area."

The captain then hands you a smaller version of the map on the wall. It has the main road north marked on it, but unfortunately not the crossing that leads to the inn he mentioned."Take this with you," he says.

Belloc moves to an open window and clicks his tongue loudly against his palate three times. In a moment, a black-feathered raven sweeps into the room and lands on Belloc's desk.  The captain clicks his tongue a few times more, varying the rhythm, and the bird tilts its head as if listening.

"This is Karnak," says the captain. You need do nothing to take care of him. He will keep watch over the inn where you are lodged and will follow you when you leave Fairbrook. As you travel he will fly along with you. Once you have spotted the goblin host, simply click your tongue three times as I just did to call him down to you. Then say to him clearly: 'Karnak, return.' He has been taught to understand that, and will immediately fly back here and lead me and my contingent to the location where you gave the command."

With that, the captain hands you the 50 gold he offered for your information and the 100 gold retainer fee promised for accepting the job, and you take your leave.

Gaven nods to Belloc as the group departs, "Light willing, we shall find the goblins quickly."

Once outside, Varros disposes of the trophies, though he keeps the bag.

You agree that the first course of action is to convert your spoils into coin, and divide it up amongst yourselves. After spending a few hours at the smithy, the general store, and even with Sadie at the Red Tankard (who is thrilled to take the brandy off your hands for 40 gold per bottle), you find yourselves with a total haul of 1024 gp, and 3 sp,* for a single morning's work.

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OOC: Actions?

I will specifically need to know if the bow carried by Varros and the spears carried by Gaven and Stan get sold or not – I wasn't sure, hence the asterisk next to the total item value above (and below).

Timewise we're into evening now, just after dinner, but there are still a few hours before dark so let me know anything you want to do or buy in town, and I'll post accordingly if/as appropriate. Also, once you're ready for me to move on to the "departure" post for the recon mission, let me know that too.

Also for the writing materials, let's say 1 gp for the lot (parchment, quill, ink).

Finally here is how the spoils come out...

Coin: 163 gp, 3 sp

Items: 861 gp

(or 888 gp, if bow and 2 spears carried by Varros, Gaven and Stan are sold)

Total Coin (actual coins + item sales): 1024 gp, 3 sp

(or 1051 gp, 3 sp, if weapons carried by Varros, Gaven and Stan are sold)

Total Coin per PC: 256 gp, 8 cp

(262 gp, 8 sp, 3 cp, if weapons carried by Varros, Gaven and Stan are sold

Monster XP: 385 xp / 4 = 97 xp for each PC (you may add this now to your sheets)

Lastly, remember that you may automatically convert any and all gp you spend to xp (I'll trust you to simply put it on your character sheets as you go), and that you may make "large expenditures" as per the house rules at any time (either as you go, or else just save it up for one big spending spree right before leveling up, your choice).

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Coin Detail:

13 gp, 3 sp (found on goblins)

50 gp (reward from the captain for information)

100 gp (retainer fee from the captain)

Item Detail (some items, like the club or the apples, have no resale value; other items, such as quivers, are sold as a unit with the arrows they carry):

Bill's Dagger                                 2 gp
1 (2) Goblin short bows               13 gp  (25 if Varros sells the one he carries)
20 Goblin arrows                         2 gp
1 Axe                                          2 gp
(1) Spear (Gaven)                                (1 gp if Gaven sells it)
(1) Spear (Stan)                                   (1 gp if you take it from Stan to sell it)
4 Goblin short bows                     50 gp
40 Goblin arrows                         4 gp
2 Short swords                            8 gp                            
1 Axe                                          2 gp

1 Goblin short bow                      12 gp

10 Goblin arrows                         1 gp

1 Short sword                              4 gp

2 Spears                                      2 gp
1 Large axe                                  4 gp
1 Silver necklace                          30 gp
1 Silver ring with cheap red stone  25 gp
5 Bottles of Brandy                       200 gp (40 each, Sadie is ecstatic to buy them)
5 Small Gems                               500 gp (100 gp per gem, reward from Mrs. Miggins)

Monster XP: 385 xp / 4 = 97 xp for each PC (you may add this now)

Monster Detail:

10 Goblins (100 xp)

1 Hobgoblin (15 xp)

2 Dogs (30 xp)

1 Spider (240 xp)