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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 8227658" data-attributes="member: 3400">The PCs finished off the rest of the zombies in the old hobgoblin cave and decided they were too worn own to press on. So they returned to Kendall Keep and found that one of the keep's regular merchants had arrived that day for a late visit on his way to his wintering quarters. He was gregarious with them and asked them about their adventures, which Pom the bard was only too willing to answer with detailed descriptions of the party's valor.Loot the halfling barbarian decided to go visit the merchant's horses and proceeded to have a conversation with them via a speak with animals ritual that she knows. Through that conversation she learned that this merchant occasionally visits some caves and meet with people with predator fangs who smell of blood as well as other two-legs, including humans. Sometimes, they take people stuck in beer boxes (barrels) and the merchant hands them over. This, of course, concerned Loot that this merchant may not be all that he seems to be.That night, Tarin, Garra, and Shael stole into the warehouse to examine this merchant's cart and gear. They found that one of his barrels had a false bottom (useful for smuggling at the least) but also with manacles held fast with a chain and staple. They met with the local cooper who confessed he had made barrels like that (with the false bottom but not with the manacles) under duress as the merchant has leverage - the cooper's missing daughter, thought by some to have run away to make her fortune, but actually kidnapped by the merchant.The party resolved to tail the merchant when he next left Kendall Keep, so the next morning when he set out, so did they. They spotted him heading for the caves. And when one of his bodyguards stayed near the road to watch for trouble, they rushed him and knocked him out for questioning. It's always fun when the group gets together for some less-violent mayhem. They're pretty good at keeping a DM on his toes since they're willing to try all sorts of unusual things.</blockquote>

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