Olpert is delighted to hear Lyrel's interest in joining the guild. He explains how Dungeon Busters works: they perform good deeds in the community to build name recognition, then the community starts to commission them to perform various tasks well-suited to adventurers. In Hochoch, they've already done the first part, in rescuing Keb's wife and business, and saving the Jarl family on top of that. The adventurers are encouraged to donate to the organization, but dues are not required, and the members are free to keep salvaged money and goods taken from villains as long as reasonable effort is taken to determine that the wealth wasn't stolen from innocent locals. Any such dividends that can't be returned are expected to be split evenly among the adventurers involved in the expedition that retrieved them. Meanwhile, Olpert's job is to set up a pipeline of cushier paid jobs that are less interesting, but less dangerous, too. People pay the Dungeon Busters to do these things, too, and the adventurers that do get a cut. It's not as exciting as vanquishing armies of undead, but it's designed to be a way to support adventurers as they age, are injured, or grow infirm so that they don't have to resort to the other forms of adventurer retirement: begging, dying in a bar fight, or getting executed for theft.
Olpert explains that the Dungeon Busters guild has a number of current missions: hunting down a man-killing owlbear, bringing Bandit Black to justice, and getting to the bottom of why Orlane has stopped sending its food shipments.
Since Lyrel is clearly interested most in the Orlane mission, Olpert goes into more detail:
"We don't know what's going on in Orlane, not exactly. But through a number of expeditions, we have learned some things that point to a larger situation: Orlane's population has largely been devoted to Merikka, goddess of growth. For generations, Merikka has blessed the village with bountiful harvests of the best, most vigorous crops. They supply food to most of southern Keoland and western Gran March...or they did until recently.
"The shipments have dwindled and, by the time we got here, stopped altogether. Trade through Orlane has all but stopped, and merchants who travel there were rebuffed or never came back to tell about their experiences. Some of our people stopped a madman, Jonbon, from kidnapping an entire family - the Jarls - with the intent of taking them back to Orlane.
"Some of our people went to Orlane: there they discovered that the people are distrustful, probably because a secret cult has taken hold of many. The cultists abduct people at night and take them to somebody identified as "her" to be indoctrinated. The cultists who are residents of Orlane are working with troglodytes, and the troglodytes have gone so far as to abduct at least one Hochoch resident so far. So the influence of the cult is spreading.
"As of yet, the cult is acting in secret, acting as if nothing has changed with them during the day, but at some point they may reach a critical mass that they can operate openly. The cultists are often identified by a spiral symbol, either in a worn object or in some kind of mutilation - tattoos or scars - on their bodies. Many of the cultists have fought to the death, rather than surrender or accept compromise.
"Our people have fought and defeated cultists three times, during which time one of our members, Joseph, disappeared, and another, Reptile, was killed. I've just sent a larger party back to find Joseph and put a stop to the cult. You're welcome to go after them; they were talking about secret tunnels under the Golden Grain Inn. They also have found a few people that have helped them: a human gardener/hermit called Ramne, a retired human adventurer named Alan, and a couple of elves who seem to be working with/for the Mayor. Any of the other residents could be cultists, but we're pretty sure that the Constable and his two cronies are members of the cult.
"If you go after them, go with my blessing. But know that our people have had run-ins with troglodytes, undead, bandits, and that damned owlbear in the forest between here and Orlane."
