Out of character: I'd prefer homlet area as I've never done that one or the temple of evil I just suggested Greyhawk because of the central location in the world and would be easier to launch adventures from there in my opinion.
Out of Character: : None of you have any current info about any of these things. You know that groups of slavers are not uncommon, but none of you are close enough to the Wild Coast to have heard anything substantial about the Slave Lords in particular.
And, from my perspective, the Slave Lords are the least amount of prep for me, Hommlet is a little bit more and Greyhawk would be the most amount of prep work. (Food for thought).
In between getting his ale, talking with the wenches and laughing with drunks he takes the time to gather the rest of his potions and suggest… "What about that merchant guy on the wagon with two ladies always on his side?"
The festivities wind down and the guests leave to head back to their homes. The merchants go back tot he tavern for a nightcap before heading to their rented rooms.
Any inquiries about Mendel illicit a reply of, he should be back in a couple of days. The keep is one of his regular stops.
The remainder of the evening goes by uneventfully.
Ah yes I had completely forgotten about Mendel, when we leave if it's within the next few days we might encounter him on the road to the next city. I don't know if we want to deal with him inside the keep walls.
The evening passes uneventfully. Everybody wakes up refreshed and with only a minor hangover, depending on how much you each ate and drank the previous evening.