I will admit, there is a certain appeal for a DM to have everyone in the same place so he/she can arrange events in a sequence that fit their adventure
It may seem like the lazy option (and truthfully, it's not very imaginative) but look at is from this perspective:
a) It helps set the scene and gives us some interesting avenues for character development
b) It's a staple cliche, and an adventure of this kind wouldn't be complete without it, and
c) I gave you chicken nuggets
This week has been a bit stressful with everyone at work ill and my wife unwell too, and me being on an early morning shift hasn't helped much (i'm a sleep-in kinda guy) so the quality of posting has suffered a bit this week (i had so many little art pieces i wanted to do that never eventuated), and the forum blackout came at an inopportune time, but once we're past this business the good times will roll on - we've got a fantastic new teammate, i've got a couple of fun new NPCs you're about to meet, and plenty of action, adventure and suspense headed your way... in the meantime enjoy your nuggets, get acquainted with your new friends and let's get Rambulge and Bufo out of prison... prison is going to be hell on Bufo... you know it. Don't let it happen!