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The backpacks are full. The horses are saddled. Everyone's made their last minute checks to make sure nothing's been forgotten. The sun has been up for a couple of hours by now, although no one's seen it because of the thick layer of heavy clouds. Already there's the rumbling sound of thunder in the distance and the first scattered drops of rain are beginnig to fall. It's not a very auspicious start to the foray. One can only hope the weather is not an omen.

Rolf and Nadia lead the way again, retracing the steps they had taken to the moathouse the month before. This time, however, they bear left at the fork in the road and turn north. There's no sign of Ol' Del and Fiona today. The road winds through the forest and begins to climb into the low hills northwest of Hommlet. It's a long, dreary, water-logged trek. They find some shelter in the lee of a large rock outcropping near the summit of the hills and make camp there for the night.

The next day is no better than the last. Rain and thunder follow them doggedly, turning the trail into a muddy trough. At least the trail leads downhill. By midday they are back down on the valley floor, passing through thick, dense forest. The air is hot and oppressive. The thunderstorms seem to offer no promise of relief from the humidity.

The trees begins to thin out and by the end of the traveling day, the group has reached the forest's edge. Untended farmlands, overgrown with grass and weeds, stretch out in front of them. Off in the distance they can see a slow moving river winding through the fields towards a dark smudge that looks like it might be low buildings. Somehow the clouds seem darker, more ominous over there, but maybe it's just their imagination, knowing that they are looking at the haunted town of Nulb.

Everyone is wet, tired and hungry. The horses need to be tended. The trees at the edge of the forest offer some protection from the elements. It's as good a place as any to make camp. And the decision whether to march into Nulb or strike out across the fields towards the Old Temple can be made in the morning.

By the time the sun touches the horizon, the clouds to the west have turned ragged and sunlight finally starts to break through. The rain has finally let up and a magnificent sunset spreads out before them. The clouds from one end of the sky to the other are lit with orange and crimson. Red sky at night... Maybe tomorrow's weather will be more auspicious.

The next day does start out better. It's dry. To the south and west are only scattered clouds. But to the north and east, low clouds still cover the sky. Rolf and Alex break camp while Nadia and Penelope pray for their daily powers. Eber pours over his arcane tomes.

The road heads pretty much straight towards the town, although it runs into the river first. The river meanders through the valley floor and there is a large loop here, known to the locals as Imeryd's Run, that bends to the north, passing Nulb on the left before it turns back to the northeast. The old road follows along the curve of the river's left bank until it meets up with the main road from Hommlet, northwest of Nulb.

By the time they reach the crossroads, the sky has grown darker. The clouds here are still thick and heavy with moisture. A stiff wind blows and carries an unexpected chill with it, in spite of the hot summer weather. To the southeast, just beyond the crossroads and at the edge of the river, a few small structures line the banks. A wooden bridge leads across the river to the main part of Nulb.

The little hamlet is obviously deserted. It's dark and disgusting, a direct counterpoint to the busy and cheerful Hommlet. Most of the structures are made of sod, mud bricks, crude logs, or used timber - probably taken from boats or other buildings. Many of the structures are collapsed. All are overgrown with vegetation as if the woods were trying to swallow up the filthy, foul place.

One of the bigger, more substantial buildings in Nulb stands just on the other side of the bridge, to the right of the main road. This building has a foundation of fieldstone and walls of sawn lumber. Beyond that building, the road continues fairly straight southeast. Perhaps 200 feet past the bridge a minor road cuts off to the right. Thirty or forty feet past that a second minor road turns left.

Everyone can see that the structures on this side of the river are extremely dilapidated. Even the least overgrown structure has a partially collapsed roof. The worst is no more than a pile of wood and mud bricks.

Nadia approaches the most intact of the buildings. Cautiously, she cuts away at some of the overgrowth over the doorway and peers into the gloomy interior. Movement! Nadia drops her shield into place and tries to get her eyes to adjust to the darkened interior.

Just inside the door she can see hard-packed dirt floor and the broken remains of some piece of furniture, possibly a table. Beyond that it's too dark for her to make out anything more than vague shapes that look like piles of rubble. Whatever motion caught her eye before has stopped.

The glow from the shield illuminates the interior of the old shack. It is indeed strewn with rubble. The remains of broken chairs, another table, and what looks might have been a bedframe. In the corner, where Nadia thought she saw movement before, is a small pile of shredded material (like dirty old matress stuffing), twigs and leaves. Scattered all over the area around this "nest" are the bones of small animals. Whatever was there is gone now.