Chapter 4.1: The New Dungeon Busters start their first mission

With Olpert's instructions, the group continued to discuss their plans as they set out to Rufus' workshop. Rufus is happy to rent a wagon to adventurers affiliated with the Heroes of Hochoch, but times being as hard as they are (what with the food scarcity and the banditry driving up prices for everyone), he insists on charging the Dungeon Busters this time. You also get the sense from his veiled comments that he's a little concerned about loaning the wagon for free, given how long it took to return it last time (6 days longer than he'd expected to be without his wagon and team), and that his oxen were nearly slaughtered.

The group manages to talk Rufus into agreeing to a rate of 90 cubs a day. With that, he provides an open-bed wagon and the team of two oxen to draw it. The wagon's bed is just large enough for eight adventurers and their standard gear to ride, crammed in together. The buckboard is wide enough for two to sit side-by-side (or three if they stow their packs and larger implements/weapons in the bed).

This negotiation has taken about an hour; the party sets out for Hochoch's East Gate and the bridge across the Realstream river mid-morning. As they go, a few fellow Dungeon Busters and several citizens see them off, stopping what they're doing to walk alongside the wagon, wish them success, and wave farewell. Charming Lienne Vereel is particularly effusive, but everyone has already been warned by Olpert of her propensity for gossip. Getting no traction with the new adventurers, she is led away by Durren Elderblade, the stiffly formal adventurer who acts like an elf. Despite his stilted awkwardness, it is clear to most of you even after only knowing them a day that he has become smitten with the vivacious young woman, though she is baffled and a little irritated by him. They wave goodbye as the wagon crosses the bridge and onto Cecily's Road.

There is very little traffic here now; all the farmers left before dawn, and as the road turns northeast toward the distant woods, each of you notices that no one else seems to be heading to the Dim Forest.

Hours pass as the trip continues and the oxen plod along; there is plenty of time for the party to plan and discuss things. But I'm going to wrap up this thread soon, starting a new thread as the party leaves the civilized region of the Duchy for the wilds of the forest. So I encourage you to carry out in-character conversations/planning in the Side Conversations thread.