Verget the 18th.
The PCs express their concern that their might be a vampiric incursion upon dwarvenkind within the Province, and decide to amass silver for their weapons and warn the populace. Url Gnarlbottom, feeling guilty that he was partly responsible for selling the black urns over to Silester Strex, offers to fund them some coin for their purchases. They head out to acquire some silver weapons at Dronn's arsenal, but it turns out it would take longer than they'd like to finish, so they get what they can. Finian expresses a desire to return to his halfling form, but postpones it for the time being. They round up their cart and Gubbily, head out towards Livenoak before evening arrives.
It eventually does, and they spot a strange blaze coming nearer the shore of the Well. Gary flies over in owl form to check it out, and then fetches the others. A boat full of orc refugees has been dragged from the lake and burned, as if to hide evidence. After tracking to its source, the PCs find that several tracks and boats were moored nearby, and there's an abandoned campsite with a half-finished wooden carving of an orc female. They surmise that some refugees must have been murdered by those who don't want them here, and also find a cruse, serrated weapon similar to a khopesh sword which they think must belong to someone from Sothos Karr. They ride into Halehusk and once again spend the night, but in their cart at the stables.
Verget the 19th.
The PCs visit Ofra again to warn her about the refugees and the potential vampires, and then Finian speaks with Private Popper at the local Eidolorn tower. Gary gives the soldier the carving, and Popper confirms that the murdered refugees might have been the work of Verglu, a notorious mercenary and bounty hunter who bears the favor of Dror Gheel, the SlaveMaster of Sothos Karr, active in Floivin Province for some time.
The PCs decide to purchase some guard dogs at the local racing track and encounter a young man named Giri Groslin, who promises to get them some older dog that isn't racing anymore and is obedient and attentive. Finian wants some more aggressive, younger dogs so they approach Giri's brother and talk the drunk into giving them some bulldog pups. They also hire on Giri, after a rousing speech from Gary convinces them. The boy is curious about the higher pay he might gain in their employ. It's agreed he can work for them on a probationary basis, tasked with watching the dogs (three of which they acquire), though Finian doesn't think highly of him.
The PCs then go to Smeltbelly's warehouse to acquire some silvered items, and once Giri joins them with the three dog recruits, they mount their cart to finally head to Livenoak and find Oatmeal for the Guild, and then ultimately to make their way to Skachalo and the next Dig.
PCs: Finian Redfoot, Gary Greasewax, Indrid Hosspotch
NPCs
Bethel (female greyhound): A proud but old ex-racing dog missing a left ear, gray with streaks of brown on her coat, extremely well trained and behaved but possibly a little deaf.
Giri Groslin (human male): A teenage lout who works the fields surrounding the Groslin Dog Racing track in Halehusk, he has swarthy features, messy dark hair, and is missing the middle and ring finger on his left hand. Crudely charismatic, he manages to talk himself and his cutting shears into the employ of the PCs after a beautiful speech from Gary Greasewax.
Grag Goslin (human male): Taller, older brother of Giri, somewhere in his 20s and a village drunk about Halehusk, cannot even really be bothered that his sibling will be traveling off with stranger.
Middle (male bulldog): A gray-white bulldog around a year old, 'purchased' from the Goslins to train as a guard dog for the party. Named for one of Giri's missing fingers by the PCs.
Private Popper (human male): A human male in his late teenage years, with thick and muscular arms that contrast his chubbier stomach and legs. He has the stubble of a slowly emerging beard, matched in color by long hair that he has tied back in a ponytail. A chain shirt bearing the symbol of the Last Eidolorn does its best to conceal a growing gut, and in one hand he tightly clutches a pair of leather bull whips, one of which has a number of barbed lashes as its ends.
Ring (male bulldog): A dark brown bulldog around a year old, 'purchased' from the Goslins to train as a guard dog for the PCs, who named him for one of Giri's missing fingers.
