Zerif had originally planned for the caravan to spend some time in Sudd’s Bog, maybe another day, but that was when he’d thought there might still be a town here. When he left his tent for breakfast, several members of the caravan mobbed him, demanding that they leave right away.

The [Caravan Master] grinned in delight at them, making no attempt to hide how happy he was to comply. “Arrive in Oud’s Bog a day early, you say? Ha, twist my arm a little, why don’t you? If you say you want to leave in an hour, I’ll say half an hour. If you say ten minutes, I’ll say why not immediately?”

Pio popped into place at Zerif’s side and started shouting, “You heard him. Move out! Anything not secured in a wagon in five minutes will be left behind!”

Most people started to hustle to gather their things and pack up camp, but one tall [Merchant] named Don stood his ground, though he removed his wide-brimmed hat out of nervousness. He gulped and said, “That’s good, a good decision. This place. It’s not right. There’s something off about this town. An Omen of Noctis, people are saying. Not that I say it...”

A few people who’d started walking off to help pick up the camp suddenly started moving much slower, to hear how Zerif would respond.

“Then say no more,” said Zerif. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, but the morning was cool enough that there was no sweat to wipe off, so he folded it again and put it back in his pocket. “We’ll strike this place from our maps, never to return.”

That seemed to satisfy everyone. Don nodded, and the rest of the caravaners rushed to pack up.

“Why never return?” asked Brin. “Sure, there’s no one here, but it’s still a nice clear area with dry ground to set up camp. Plus, there's the old magic on the Bogs that wards away… monsters.”

Zerif beamed. “An excellent question! Very precocious. But I see by the dawning comprehension on your face that you’ve discovered your own answer. If monsters dare not approach the Bogs, then why did the Vlkovek with the wolves trespass here so easily? Now, don’t mistake me. This thing about the Omen of Noctis? Superstitious nonsense. But still, this place failed to be a safe haven for the people who live here. How can we trust it as mere travelers? No, better to find other routes.”

Hogg stepped up next to Brin and nodded. “It won’t be a good place to camp for much longer anyhow. Without anyone to maintain it, it’ll turn back into a wet, soggy bog again in a couple years at most.”

Zerif nodded several times. “Excellent point. Now if you’ll excuse me? I have preparations I must see to.”

Brin’s bag was already on the cargo wagon, so there was nothing he really needed to do. While he probably should be helping in some way, it was also starting to dawn on him that he didn’t need to. Instead, he stood with Hogg and asked another question. “So how did the Vlkovek get in?”

“That’s not as much of a mystery as you’re making it. Not much is known about the ancient magic of Boglands or the magical effect that protects the random circular Bogs where we make our towns. But we do know that it’s not absolute. Determined monsters can still approach, and one thing about hunger is that it can make a being awfully determined. That’s why we build walls in the first place. The other thing is that the magic does nothing to protect you from monsters that come from inside the town.”

“So what do you think happened?”

Hogg shrugged. “Even a small town like this could tell a hundred stories. I don’t think we’ll ever know the full story of Sudd’s Bogg’s final days. Not unless you could ask the bones you found in that hut.”

The empty town suddenly had an ominous feel, and the caravan left in somber silence. It wasn’t until the town was well and truly behind them that the mood of the people started to improve and the background noise of conversation started up again.

They walked through the day, and no monsters attacked, marking it as their very first day without violence. By dinner time, the atmosphere was downright celebratory. Zerif brought out a cask of wine to share, and Jeffrey and Davi let loose with their best music, not holding back like they had before.

The [Dancer] stood up first, moving slowly and precisely through an instrumental piece, almost like a ballerina, and the performance left Brin in awe, with his mouth feeling dry from being open so long. After that, Jeffrey switched to some real dancing tunes. The [Dancer’s] movements changed, and now rather than wanting to watch her, everyone who saw her was suddenly overcome with the desire to join in. Where the dancing at Hammon’s Bog was very formal and regimented, the caravan’s dance was wild and free. The music seemed to make you forget about being self-conscious and just have fun, but even so Brin was pretty sure he was getting better. Nowhere near as quickly as Myra and her [Dancing] Skill.

When most people started getting ready for bed, Hogg whistled Brin over. Marksi was sitting on Hogg’s shoulder, and Hogg scratched his neck while he talked. “I’ll have you bring Myra and Davi again. Oh, and take Sion over there with you.”

“Who?”

“Who, me?” came another voice from behind him.

Sion was a tall, lanky boy. He didn’t look like anything special at first glance; he wore ordinary brown traveling clothes, thick leather now that Brin was looking closely, instead of the colorful clothing the merchants wore in town and that Pio and Zerif wore all the time.

He had a wide-brimmed hat over straight black hair like Brin’s own that marked him as Prinnashian. At least he held the spear like he knew how to use it.

Brin used [Inspect].

Name

Sion Wogan

Age

Race

Human

Level

Class

Merchant

Description

Sion is a young merchant traveling with a caravan for the experience and levels.

Skills

Find the Deal [38]: Sion has the ability to find the people who most need his services. This Skill has been upgraded once.

True Reckoning: Sion has a perfect ability to measure the size of nearby objects or the distance of objects within a hundred miles. Sion also has an improved ability to measure the veracity of claims made in his presence. This Skill has been upgraded twice.

Value Sense: Sion can estimate how much something is worth.