Serena goes to chat with Rostcal

Serena goes to chat with Rostcal - (Flamerule 3rd)

Serena is one of the first to leave the inn, the recent scene with Merrell and the various comments about the party breaking up still fresh in her mind as she hurries towards the caravan staging ground, hoping to catch up with Rostcal Malone before he continues on his journey towards Waterdeep. Arriving there, she is pleased to immediately spot the highly visible 100 foot long wagons of Moonwood Masts. Asking around, she soon finds Rostcal, who was in the process of interviewing a new guard - a replacement for Sohan, the man who had first fallen to the zombies.

After a short while, some form of deal is struck as the two shake hands, and as the man heads over towards the other guards, Rostcal turns, smiling as he spots Serena. "If I'd known you were coming to apply..."
he starts, but Serena can see the twinkle in his eye to show he isn't being serious. Serena explains why she wanted to talk to him, just really to pick his brains on the Moonwood.

Rostcal purses his lips at the query. "Well, Quaervarr loggers tend only to travel the outskirts of the Moonwood - the area within a few miles of the village" he starts. "Some of the local rangers go deeper, but not often, and travellers who travel the inner parts of the woods, well, some return, some don't. Those who do have often been lost for a long time." He leans towards Serena slightly, lowering his voice a little. "The local rangers talk about the woods as if they are alive you know!" He snorts. "Poppycock!" he says, standing straight again.
"They say they are one of the oldest woods in Faerun." He shrugs.
"Certainly there are some very old trees in those woods, but I've never sensed any evil about them, and as the ranger's say - 'treat the wood fair, and it'll treat you fair.'"

When Serena asks if he knows of any ruins within the woods, he shrugs again. "I've seen the remnants of ancient elf made trails, so mebbe there are other elf made ruins there too." Again he shrugs, and then frowns as he spots something that needs his attention up on his wagons.
Turning back to Serena, he extends a hand in farewell. "If you want info about the Moonwood, then speak to some of the rangers in Quaervarr."
His eyebrows rise as if he'd just remembered some detail. "Lairdlanggl, a half-elf ranger, find him - he's pretty knowledgeable about the Moonwood!"

Bidding her farewells and thanks to Rostcal, Serena leaves the master mast maker, and heads off towards Helmer's Wall, wondering who she will meet there to spar with.