While Eleanor was giving the room Aaron had booked a quick clean, she heard a commotion outside.
A great many Harpers had gathered at the inn that day. Eleanor guessed they had some event coming up, or perhaps something to discuss, so she paid it little mind.
Although Mama Selûne was the patron goddess of the Harpers, her chaotic good nature meant she never forced her followers to join them. As a cleric of Selûne, Eleanor merely had certain ties to the organization. Its so-called good works were not her main concern. Like Aaron, Eleanor had her own understanding of goodness.
The noise outside still disturbed her. Miss Cleric preferred peace and quiet to activity. After making the large bed she and Aaron would share and placing Charlotte's little bed beside the bathroom, Eleanor finally decided to go out and see what was happening.
Aboveground, night was falling. The setting sun stubbornly left a small semicircle nestled between the hills. Thick smoke hung over the inn as dinner was prepared and coal burned for warmth. The smells of bodies and mildew mingled inside, masked by the aroma of beer and food. A little fastidious about cleanliness, Eleanor could not help frowning. Once Aaron finishes up, I'll still need to cast the third-level divine spell-Leomund's Tiny Hut.
As soon as she stepped out of the room, Eleanor heard two Harpers talking.
They were discussing something distressing. Two Harpers assigned to reconnaissance had met with trouble. One had been missing for some time, while the other had been found dead in a nearby underground tunnel.
One Harper believed the situation was getting out of control and that they should report it to their superiors immediately. The other thought it was no great matter. Accidental deaths were normal along the path of goodness.