While on the way back to Runswick, the group encountered a pack of Gnolls that were chasing / herding a group of wild buffalo. The gnolls, frustrated with their meals running faster than they can, decided to try and make the group their next meal. This proved futile, as the group was able to fend them off. It was at this time Caius came upon the group, and joined them on their way back to Runswick.
When the group made it to Runswick, they submitted the writ that they got from Dersden, and were paid the reward, as well as getting an additional reward as this was a major favor to the guildmaster. The group decided to register with the Adventurer's Guild under the name of 'The Misfits'. During the evening, the group split up and went about some of their own business.
Swipe, Flint, and Rheymme took a simple job that was posted in the Adventurer's Guild - helping a small gnome girl find her lost cat. They met with the small girl and her mother, named Emma and Bellisima Tinyfoot. Emma explained that her kitty, named Mr. Fluffernutters, was last seen over 3 weeks ago, and disappeared near the closest sewar grate. She would leave fish and milk out, to try and coax him back, but the food would always go missing and Mr. Fluffernutters never came back.
The three of them decided to search the sewars, and after some very successful investigating, they found a small nest with Mr. Fluffernutters and another pure black cat, and a small litter of kittens. Rheymme, utilizing his Speak with Animals, was able to find out that the other stray cat was rescued and nursed back to health by MS. Fluffernutters. The two felines fell in love, and the stray was keeping watch over Ms. Fluffernutters as she bore their kittens. Their plan was to live here in the sewars, as the stray, who revealed to the group its true form of a Displacer Beast, was horribly mistreated by the 'two legged beings on top'. With some very good persuasion, the group was able to convince the Displacer Beast that Emma and her mother are not like the ones that mistreated him, and that they would love and care for them and their new little family. Ms. Fluffernutters also vouched saying that Emma has been very kind, and she misses the 'pats and cuddles'.
The group returned to Emma and her mother, and explained that Ms. Fluffernutters is safe, and that its found love. They explained that she will be coming home, along with a few others. Emma was excited that there was more kittens to love. Bellisima, however, was a little worried. How was she going to feed all these cats? Swipe and Rheymme gave Bellisima some gold, to help with the transition of accepting this new cat family. Afterwards, the three went back to the Adventurer's Guild, and rested for the night.
While they were on this small journey, Thorne and Caius stayed at the bar that is within the Adventurer's Guild. Thorne, enjoying his drinks very much, nearly got into a fight with a Dwarf and his own party who were celebrating a job well done. Caius excused himself away from the ruckus, not wanting to get into a conflict, but also not wanting to completely abandon Thorne. The bartender, watching everything unfold, had Thorne thrown out of the Guild Hall for the night. Thorne wandered the streets, looking for more pubs. He found one, and after completely inebriating himself, passed out drunk outside of the small pub. When he awoke in the morning, all of his money and personal possessions were stolen from him. Luckily, his two Warpicks were still there.
During the next day, The Misfits took care of some other errands around the city, before settling in on a job to help with income.
Swipe met up with Tess, a female Tabaxi info broker, and his old friend Runt, another Kobold that runs around with the local Thieves Guild. Runt helped Swipe get in contact with someone slightly higher in the Thieves Guild (AKA - The Common Taters), who could shed some light on the upcoming celebration that Duke Runswick is throwing for his youngest daughter's 18th birthday. This person, who never gave Swipe their name, is an olive skinned female Gnome with black hair and emerald green eyes. She makes a proposition to Swipe - take the job to be additional guards at the birthday party, and help the Thieves Guild sneak in so that they can find true evidence of the Duke's corruption. Swipe didn't agree to anything, and only told the rest of the Misfits of a possible side job, but nothing too detailed.
When Swipe met up with Tess, he was accompanied by Seraf, who was also looking for information. Tess gave Swipe some "free" info, since they go back a ways and have helped each other out. She told him that the political power in Runswick is a bit unstable, and that while she doesn't have full proof yet, there are rumors that those seeking power might be conspiring to do so in a very ugly manner. She'll keep her ears out for anything more substancial and let him know.
Seraf, now looking for information on a person named Aguarre, was able to get some detailed information about him, for a hefty price. Seraf learned that he's a human male, normally with short, dark brown hair, and has a scar over his left eye. He was once a member of the Adventurer's Guild, until he was stripped of his membership after the apparent deaths of his adventuring party. He was charged for their deaths, but nothing concrete was ever brought forth and thus he was free to leave. He's now leading another group, called the Twilight Demons, and has been taking jobs from the local Crimson Brigade Guild. He hasn't been seen in Runswick for over 4 months.
Rheymme took this time to do some shopping and looked to creating more puppets, which he was able to do.
Flint, looking for a place to work on his craft, discovered the Blacksmith's Guild in Runswick. There, he met a big, burly Dwarf named Tharbul Blacksmelt. Flint was able to convey his needs to Tharbul, so that he can continue working on his own project. Tharbul agreed, knowing in a broad sense of what Flint was looking for, and agreed to get the materials that Flint needs.
Towards the evening of their 2nd day in Runswick, Seraf and Caius went to the Astral Stars Guild, looking for more information and possibly some shared knowledge in the arcane. With a bit of luck and Seraf giving over his families book on the Elven arts of Gladius. There, the pair was able to gain access as members of the Guild, and even take on a job with a young local wizard named Connor. Connor is looking for aid in bringing down a magical barrier at a recently discovered ruin, so that he can study what is behind it, and finally be recognized not as an apprentice, but as a full-fledged wizard.
The Misfits met that evening in the Adventurer's Guild, and over the course of their dinner, shared their day and decided to take a contract there in the Guild: To find a missing adventuring party that went missing while on a job to clear and explore a recently discovered ruin. Through some information sharing, The Misfits came to the conclusion that the ruins that Connor wants help with, and the ruins that the adventuring party went missing in, are either really close, or one in the same. The Misfits were told to help bring back the adventuring party, and if they are found dead, to please bring back their guild medals (proof that they belong to the Adventurer's Guild). And, if they can, help complete the original request and clear out the ruins of the undead.
The next moring, Connor met up with The Misfits, and they began their journey to these ruins.