The entire city of Trostenwald woke to find the Wildewind’s wheat field’s on fire. Racing in, you found The Wandering Flames there as well, attempting to help. Running into the field and teaming up with the Flames, you found four flame skulls setting fire to the field, controlled by a large firey demon summoned in a runic circle. The flameskulls were moving toward the digsite and demonstrated the explosive nature of the dust as they set fire to the exposed rock and carved chunks out of the digsite.

Two days later, Starosta Freyda Langer asked Della, Amira, Applethorn, and Scrum to investigate while Katerina and Scrum were assisting Benedict. Langer was concerned that the Wildewinds perhaps started the fire themselves in an attempt to gain favor with the town. She knows for a fact that they have enough supplies to continue brewing while the fields are healed, so she can’t think of another reason. This is the first instance of something like this happening and she doesn’t want it to get worse or spread to others, so she would love if they can find proof of the Wildewinds destruction… Or motive from other brewers.

The group took payment upfront, ignoring the note that Langer’s assistant tucked in the moeny bag and set out to investigate. Starting in the burned fields, Applethorn and Scrum discovered that whoever drew the summoning circle for the demon put it deep in the ground so it couldn’t be removed easily. Their tracks led back to the Husseldorf fields next to the Wildewinds, and Applethorn and Scrum found other, seemingly practice demonic circles in the Von Brandt field, though it was suspicious that the tracks had been cleared from the area, but the circles were left.

Meanwhile, Della and Amira spoke with Dreanna, the site manager, as she investigated the red stone that was unearthed in the attack. Dreanna seemed concerned by what she found, saying that the stone seemed alive and like this vane was growing beneath the earth. She also revealed the cause of the rumors about the Wildewinds: several months ago, a group of people got sick and became marked with dark black veins along their arms. Six weeks later, about 20 of the people marked this way died within 3 days of each other. The only common connection was they had all been the Dancing Nymph the week they got sick. While Dreanna doesn’t believe the Nymph’s drinks caused the illness, she is fearful and superstitious of Ruidus. .

Continuing to investigate, the group spoke with Flash, the Nymph’s top brewer and idea man. A cheeky, annoying Grung, Flash was indignant about the investigation and blamed the Husseldorf heirs, who kept coming into the bar to drink but never more than one. Flash also had a group of strange, black marks on his arm, running from wrist to elbow which he claimed was a birthmark. Della asked for his birthday.

Finally, they decided to get a tour of the Husseldorf brewery, where Applethorn broke away to search the offices while the ladies distracted the tour guide with questions and fake interest for the book they’re writing. They saw the Husseldorf sons working on the floor, experimenting on one of their many new drink ideas. Meanwhile, Applethorn found the heirs office unused, but the owners was full of evidence that the business was losing money, while the manager of the brewery had a letter from Starosta Langer, negotiating the purchase of the Wildewinds fields. She would split the land, taking the section with the ore vane and give the Husseldorfs the remainder, as well as access to the material to make new and impressive drinks. Finally, a note was slipped under the managers door saying “it is done”.

Confident that the Husseldorf’s are the culprits, the party tried to determine why the Starosta would hire them. Then, remembering the note in the money bag, read “do not trust her, meet me for lunch” from her assistant. Though later than the original rendezvous, the group managed to meet with the assistant, who said that he’s been working with the Defiant Blade rebellion to keep tabs on the Starosta. She has been purchasing mining equipment and working with the Empire to dig inot farmland, even if it damages the farmers and their yield. If she gains control of the Wildewinds field, she would have no problem destroying Trostenwald for this stone.

He put them in touch with his contact in the rebellion, who appeared invisibily at their table to take the information they found. Feeling good about their investigation, the group returned to the Rusty Tankard.