Something seems to be going a bit wrong

After returning to town, the Barbarian eats too many grapes and is incapacitated with food posioning for several weeks.  "Why do I keep eating this delicious grapes!", he complains, as he continues to stuff large juicy green grapes in his fabulous maw.

The rest of our heroes, meanwhile, head toward's Loxley's nut farm to have a conversation about books and libraries.  And what a conversation is had!  The philosophy of libertarianism, of library science and stewardship, and of the proper place for veterans in the Empire are dicussed.

Loxley and his friends run a nut farm (with cattle) a day or so outside of Tounder; a somewhat anarchic commune, where a little over 200 books are stewarded, and rare/interesting books are archived.  Aovek discovers a book that's magical - and upon inquiring  about it's nature, is told by Loxley that it is Cursed (and the title of the book: "On Curses" - bears this out).  Aovek and Loxely debate whether a locked case is enough to keep the world safe from this book - the conversation ends with Aovek leaving with the book, and Loxley requesting that the book stay on Loxley's nut farm.  But Aovek is fast - faster than a horse, for several minutes at a time, magically - and escapes the farm.

Durim, Horace, and Loxley then talk about their mutual friend Aovek - all are somewhat taken aback by the mage's actions, but agree to try to resolve the situation peacefully.  Horace and Durim head back to Tounder and speak with Simon (who fractured his collarbone falling drunkenly down the stairs); Simon is concerned for Justian and his grief and asks for guidance.  The party picks up a letter in the morning, and sets off back to York.

Meanwhile, Aovek spends a cold and hungry night alone, meeting his companions on the road the next evening.  The next day, his magics reveal that the book curses whover opens it

On returning to Penumbria, our heroes have a conversation with Father Tomas about the events in Tounder; Tomas seems quite at a loss to make sense of what happened, but with the party's information begins to make some decisions and start to sort shit out.  Tomas has three more tasks for the party:

• Return to the tomb in Applo, where a trap door was found in the floor underneath one of the coffins.  The party was asked for specifically - none of the other townsfolk are willing to enter this tunnel.
• Head the other direction to a city called Coriander, outside of the Black Swamp, where reports are that the priest (father Darbouw) has gone a bit mad.
• Deliver the cursed book to the High Priest in Joven - the curse is more powerful than father Tomas is able to dispel, plus (Secret Mission)

The band also checks in with Salamancar, who has some money for them, and more tasks - take a pouch of alchemical reagents to an alchemist named Loiwgha in the town of Vincent, also near the Black Swamp, and get from her several pounds of 'medicine' she has for Salamancar.  The party is also asked to check up on Loiwgha and assess what she's up to.

Our band of adventurers heads first to Vincent, where a straight-forward exchange happens, a well-equipped alchemical lab is viewed, and a somewhat surprising piece of information learned (Salamancar was at one point in the priesthood).  Loiwgha is able to brew arcane potions, but makes the bulk of her money from selling love potions to teenagers.

Next the party rides to Coriander, a town not very welcoming of strangers.  Our band sleeps on the porch of Chester, the town militia man, who seems more engaged with drinking all day than with upholding the law.  At dawn father Darbouw strolls down the street, wearing a 'costume' of roughly skinned and stitched pelts, singing in the dawn; when asked about himself muttered about being alone, which put the party on alert.  Father Darbouw invites  them to hear his sermon to the cypress trees; the sermon is as follows:

     "Alone, alone, alone - all is alone"

With different pacing and intonation, but the same words, for 10 minutes.  After a name Darbouw wakes up ready for coffee; Horace offers to make the pot of coffee for the priest, where he slips Father Darbouw a mickey.  The band loads the priest onto the back of the pack horse, and head back to Penumbria,

From there it's back to Applo, and then with the cursed book and their tongues in their mouths, or heroes ride back to Aplo for more investigations of the tomb.