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Update 10: Whereupon the validity of the plan to knock on every door is questioned
Last time we finished up just outside the bridge that would take us into Tyr-Sog. This village, along with those to the east of it, encompass the border between the Kingdom and the Northlands.
First let's pause for a moment to reflect upon the serene beauty of nature...
Ahhh 
Okay, that's long enough - let's cross that bridge.
Oooh - yet another graveyard to desecrate!
Aw, a dead baby... 
Well, open her up, boys! 
"I don't think this is a very good idea."
Less talking, more digging!
Fantastic. We are now fighting a dead baby's angry ghost.
She also gets to go first in combat and promptly spits all over Gorath.
Ouch.
That kind of attack hurts pretty bad.
Fortunately, it doesn't freeze us in place like a certain spell that we have yet to see, but our characters would only be able to take a few hits of this kind of attack before their health suffers and things get back. In general, this encounter goes to show why you have to be careful about which graves you dig up. Like the graves that give out goodies, those that have shades to fight generally have some text that hints that they died in horrible ways or were bad people, or in general it was just bad... Basically it's telling you to think twice before you do any digging.
"How does a spell blinding people work on an entity that doesn't have eyes anymore?"
(cue several rounds of ineffectively hitting the shade for 8 - 12 points of damage at a time)
"She, uh... it just descended back into the earth."
That's right, no bodies to search, or are there any treasures to find in baby's grave. Just as well, we are horrible people for digging it up in the first place.
Let's dig up another grave!
"Gods, why?"
Upon inspection, let's not take these rations.
Sweet! Another pair of stealth shoes, who wants them?
"These have been on a dead man's feet for Gods know how long. Are you seriously..."
Looks like Locklear just volunteered! Enjoy your new footwear.
Just straight ahead from the town's graveyard is the town itself.
As always, a brown building is my first destination since its more then likely a shop, but before we go there, in one of the normal houses nearby we get this encounter:
A pawnshop. Or more accurately, a kind of shop that deals in the 'miscellaneous' category. Swords and armor usually can't be sold or purchased in shops like this, but just about everything else can.
"A practice lute? Awesome!"
We've purchased Owyn a lute, and now will spam practicing it twenty times until it breaks. Whether it was because it ran out of uses, or because Locklear and Gorath threw it into the river, we'll never know.
Of course, I was a dummy and forgot to select only Owyn's barding skill to make sure that it would increase more here. Still, it's simple enough. Practice on a practice lute, and your skill increases. Perhaps it is high enough now to not get us thrown out of every bar or inn that we go into?
In fact, let's go do that now.
We nap in the middle of the street until noon (because where else would we go, to Krondor? Hah!)
Alas, this guy is only selling food. As I'm a bit short of trail rations at the moment, I take him up on the offer and restock our provisions.
I have an idea, let's get the hell out of the Kingdom! Surely assassins won't be expecting us to head back into the north!"
"Well, shit. We've been seen."
"Oh, you don't want to be here.
"With all due respect, Seigneur, we're digging ourselves out of a pretty mess presently. Not long after you and the moredhel trounced through here, a white screamer came up out of nowhere, worst snow storm I've seen in sixteen years. Ten miles on down the dell, the pass is buried under five feet of snow. I sent out guards to help our forward positions but I'm not positive they can do much. Kind of like lighting your pipe under the Bitter Sea."
"There's no way to get through the Inclindel at all?"
"Not unless you're a snow burrowing mole or a firedrake, no sir. Whoever may be in the Northlands or in the Kingdom, they've got a long wait on their hands if they need to get down this road."
"Well that's it then. We'll have to turn back. Take care, Lieutenant."
The game prevents you from heading into enemy territory the first chapter (and most chapters following). For the moment, we are limited to exploring the Kingdom, so the cities to the North will just have to wait.
That's just as well though - we are still investigating that missing Ruby, so south to Loriel we go!
Of course, plenty of encounters between Tyr-Sog and Loriel.
We've just recently taken down a dead baby shade though, so this isn't too difficult a fight.
We have our first runner! While I could just let him go, and we'd never see him again, I'd much rather loot his body.
It's another instance where 'Invitation' is useful. It can help prevent enemies from retreating. You just have Owyn cast the spell to pull them in close to where he is, and then have Locklear and Gorath pile on and take them out before they retreat again.
The battle doesn't yield any interesting items though.
After looting what I can, I continue to push forward onto the next encounter just outside of Loriel itself.
Wearing a dead's man shoes helps with our ambush capability. Once Owyn has a pair for himself we will get even more of these kind of successful ambush messages.
Yawn.
They are easily taken down. Again, no interesting loot. They were simply just good practice for Locklear and Gorath's melee abilities.
Though the map may make the cities look like they are far apart, it's actually a rather short walk from Tyr-Sog to Loriel. This here is the entrance from the north to Loriel. Most of the houses are uninteresting or have nobody home.
This house gives us an interesting insight as to the rumor of a contagion here at Loriel that we heard about in a previous update. Seems it might be something of a scam. We'll have to keep an eye out.
We continue to knock on doors, looking for the gems merchant.
"What the hell? I thought I was going to get to bust his head!"
Nope - we've been just been pushed to look for somebody else instead. We are now looking for Issac, who was last seen just north of Hawk's Hollow. Good thing that's where we are heading now!
"Fuck that, I'm going to beat the snot out of him!"
Once again, the game will prevent you from further interaction. Still, it was necessary for us to see Keifer first before looking for Issac, so it's just as well that we can't talk to him again.
Tell you what, Locklear. I'll buy you a new sword. Let's go into the shop.
This is actually a rather versatile shop, sells food, weapons, weapons, armor and miscellaneous goods as well. I splurge a bit and pick up a two-handed broadsword for Locklear here, as I'm getting sick of the piddly damage the normal broadsword is doing.
Let's go south and look for Issac.
On the way down, we go onto another side path.
As per party policy, we will knock on every door, and this is no exception.
... Shit.
See you in Update 11: Owyn deals out some fiery death of his own