OOC: Hope nobody minds a bit of tavern NPC-given exposition dump. Would kinda like to kick this one forward a bit and a conversational blow-by-blow on everything could take a very long time in PbP  ;D<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Tev and Rolf were actually about to get back to their work... but hey, it's not every day a pretty half-elf from somewhere far away wants to have a chat. They are more than happy to fill Kayanna in on the subject of apples. The basic gist is thus; a few years ago, some goblins came out of the Thornwood, offering trade. What they offered was single perfect red apple that they claimed could cure any injury or illness. The damned thing was, to worked - but as word got around, demand went up, and so did the price. Each year the goblins ask for more money. Last year they got fifty gold pieces out of the town for the thing - and from what the men tell you, that's quite a sum for Oakhurst. So naturally, the townsfolk have been trying to grow the apples from seed. Every time the young trees seem to be going well though, they vanish, stolen away at night, sometimes one at a time, sometimes all at once<br/><br/>To answer the obvious yes, they have set guards, yes they have followed tracks, and still it happens. The favored explanation is that first, goblins are just naturally sneaky little buggers, but obviously if they have some magic to create all-healing fruit, surely they can be extra-sneaky, right?<br/><br/>They reiterate that the mayor or this Gellie lady<em>might</em>be able to tell Kayanna more about the trees and such, but they seem confident that they've given all the information anyone in the town really knows. Tev mentions that the goblins are<em>suspected</em>to make their home in a ravine within the Thornwood; no one really goes deep into the forest. He also warns against the swamp, on account of the toads.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>So. By the setting of the sun, Tenber's caravan - minus you lot and a handful of others - has already pulled out to continue the trip north. The owner of the Old Boar is willing to let people stay; he has two open rooms, though admits they're furnished for halflings, at two silver a night; or you could sleep by the hearth in the commons room for half that; or for half of<em>that</em>a spot in the stables. All options come with dinner and breakfast, though! he does warn all of you - with one eye on Gerion, the other on Ix - that he will brook no trouble in his establishment. Typical innkeeper stuff.<br/><br/>What's your next move, oh stranded adventurers?