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Eris seems about to ask some more questions, but the man is gone as quickly as he had come.
"Some questionable friends; perhaps that is another lead. It also sounds like he has seen these insects, which seem to fly, glow, or possibly trample. Odd. We will want to investigate the central orchid once we have finished our questioning," she says.
"I believe we intended to visit Petrello Pindlion next, correct?"
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The Speaker bows to the Master Baker and gives them a warm smile. brushing off the dust from moving the cart and any flour clinging to their dress robes, the Sarenrite asks two final questions before thy depart.
"Master, do you have any names of the friends? Also, where is this Orchard, if you please, so that we can also examine it."
After leaving the bakery and watching the grippli enjoy his baked goods delights, the group moves over to the Haberdashery. It appears this establishment is nowhere near as successful as the bakery. Odd styled sewing objects litter the store windows that very few people would ever seem to purchase much less wear in public. Inside the store is a mess as a single man is busy trying to thread a needle as he works on something that is either a hat.... or a boot...or something else entirely.
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Making their way across town, the Speaker of the Dawnflower spends much of their time entertaining the townsfolk with tales and speaking with those that approach them. Approaching the Haberdashery, the Speaker smiles at the odd designs and enters the shop. Bowing again to the master, the Sarenrite speaks softly.
"Please Master, I hope we do not interrupt your work. We have been asked to look in to the recent disappearances of the town's apprentices. Would you please give us any information regarding your child Bertrona?"
You all can tell his initial disposition towards you is unfriendly and your initial attempts to engage him in conversation is met with short one word answers...
"Busy"
"dunno"
is all he manages to say while he struggles in his craft.
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Sammakko looks around the store, mouth agape. "I've never seen so many hats!" He makes his way around the room, trying on various hats, all of which look rediculous on his grippli head. "Why do you humans like hats so much? I don't get it. Some of these seem a little silly to me." And then he finds it, a small derby hat, probably made for a child, that sits perfectly between his oversized eyes. "Excuse me sir, how much for this one?"
"Look good folk. I have a lot of work to do so if you arent here to buy something please go somewhere else." he says in a kind but straight to the point voice.
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The speaker frowns slightly at his attitude, suspicious of the Master's lack of care for their missing apprentice, though it did match the baker's own miserable view on the world. It was a sad existence to be so uncaring. Letting their Grippli companion buy something, the Speaker considers using the note given to them by the mayor before deciding to try it later.
"Master, our friends here is interested in your wares and we are interested in what you know. Your own Apprentice is missing which must be hurtful, we are making this right, there is no need to shut yourself off from us."
“It’s that apothecary boy’s fault. He’s a bad influence, that one!” he says when the topic of apprentices is brought forward. Turning to Sammakko he says "That hat is... ummm...4... no 5 gp... cause of the delicate work on it." and looking at the hat shows it is an odd design and not very fashionable.
You think he is bluffing and just trying to get as much money as possible. He appears to have a lack of business skills. You could probably talk him down.
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"I...will purchase a potential replacement button for these trousers," Eris says, "though I suggest this lost apprentice might help you with your business skills. Should we be able to find your apprentice, that is. Though my companion has agreed to pay you four times more than the hat is worth, it appears you could use some additional assistance here. Help us and we will find your apprentice."
Petrello seems stunned that he managed to sell something for that price and his attitude shifts to a friendlier disposition. He says "I suspected Gellion and Nolaria were getting the other apprentices in some sort of trouble. I dunno what it is. I told Betrona to stay away from them. But she didnt listen. I forbade her to go with them but she did anyway. I think they went to the local orchid or graveyard. If she had only listened to me my daughter would still be here."
"I dont know which one it is. I looked at both from a distance and found nothing."
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"A model father indeed..." mutters Wolfgang torn between dry amusement ad disgust.
"Seems like we've got some kind of a trail. As for you... We're going looking for your daughter, although you don't seem to care much she can't actually be worse than you at this "job" of yours!" says the Ustalavian man taking his leave.
"So where to first? Orchards have flowers, which means insects, and we have been warned about insects. On the other hand graveyards are exactly the kind of place where young fools go to find an adventure and get eaten by zombies or experimented on by some mad magician. Ah! Fond memories!"
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The speaker waves to the Haberdasher and slides gracefully out of the Exit, their finger tapping their jaw as they consider the next step. After a while they sigh at the tension building up and shrugs elegantly.
"Well, we have two reports from Masters and both include the Orchard and one includes the Graveyard. The Apprentices seemed to know each other, but I do find it strange that the Master's carry on as if nothing is amiss.." the Speaker pauses for a moment and takes a drink of water. "We could ask more of the Master's for a greater picture before we search places already looked. Though we may get the same stories."
The group decides to go down the list provided to them and seek the location of Pricknettle’s Potions and Poultices. The store seems to be in better condition than the others around it which leads one to believe there is more business being conducted in this establishment than in others. The group enters the store and find it in good and clean condition, a testament to the professionalism of the owner, a gnomish female who looks upon you all as you enter and smiles warmly. "Enter, enter. What can I get for you. Something for a cold on these changing nights? perhaps something for an allergy? no no you all look like adventurers. Well then do you need something for your next job? I am Majara Pricknettle the proprietor."
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Entering the clean eatablishment, the Speaker is pleasantly surprised as the Gnome gives them a warm welcome. This reminds me to not tar all these folks with one brush, to fountains of misery should not reflect on all. Smiling and bowing as before, the Speaker looks around the apothecary before answering.
"I am sure we will make use of your services, however our current job requires not remedies as yet but rather information. We have been tasked you see, by the Mayor, to ensure that the missing apprentices are not at risk. Would you happen to know anything about them?"
"Oh... you want to know about Gellion... oh ok. At first I thought he did not show up because of something trivial with his family. But in truth I have not seen Gellion in several days...and I suspect that Nolaria Wintren, you know, the apprentice at the temple of Erastil, might have something to do with his disappearance. I think the priest’s apprentice as a bit of a meddler who puts dangerous ideas into Gellion’s head. He is a good boy, but he is also impressionable. I have not had time to look for him, but he is his own person."
"You will find these townsfolk to be a superstitious lot with magic. Not divine magic mind you but the arcane kind. Something to do with a witch in the past, not really sure. Doesn't really matter... except maybe for you." the gnome says pointing at the magus. "Even though Ildriss is a devout priest of Erastil, his apprentice Nolaria is reckless and what I call foolhardy brave. Go ask the priest if you want more about her. Would be wrong for me to speak of her anymore."
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Sam looks around the store while the others speak with the shopkeep. He picks up a bottle of an unknown substance and sniffs it out of curiosity. When putting the stopper back it falls out of his hand and he just barely stops it with a webbed foot. The grippli tries to act like nothing happened and decides it best to wait outside.
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The Speaker smiles to the Alchemist and nods her head, satisfied with the information they have been given so far. Glad to have finally found a helpful local, the Bard speaks to the Alchemist before looking at the names on their list.
"My thanks to you Master, you have been most helpful in our task. If we find anything out regarding your Gellion you will be the first to know."
Making their way out of the store, the Speaker sighs. "Another Master blaming another, though I suspected little else in such a place. We should speak with the Priest next then."
The group walks through town on the way to the temple. Along the way they pick up some information on the temple from locals through casual conversation. The current head priest is Ildris Ruvarra. Though he has lived in Saringallow for only a decade or so, he is well respected for his selflessness as a healer.
The temple itself is nice and well built. The doors are open and inside the group sees an elderly man dressed in priestly robes attending to two injured locals. He sees you all enter and calls out a greeting "Well met friends. What can Erastil do for you?"
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Thanking the villagers for their information, the Speaker steps into the temple with respect for the Hunter God. Though their own faith may differ, the Speaker knew that all of the gods had their place in the Ethos, even the despicable Rovagug, locked away. Bowing to the priest as they had done to the masters before, the Sarenrite smiles.
"My colleague is correct, we are searching for information on those recently lost and it has been mentioned that your own apprentice may know those missing. Please, could we entreat you for any knowledge you might have?"
You see the man slightly change his stance to a friendlier one. "Ah yes Nolaria... my 'daughter'... ever the free spirit...Nolaria’s true parents were both officers in Isger’s army during the Goblinblood Wars.... As the war wound down and the goblin forces fled one by one back into Chitterwood... a desperate hobgoblin captain called Gristlebriar led a surprise attack against the village where her parents were stationed... Neither of them survived the battle.... Gristlebriar razed the village to the ground... but a few people escaped... including myself.... When I searched the burned buildings for survivors, I found little Nolaria in the ruined temple of Erastil... hiding under the bell tower’s giant cracked bell... It was clear to me that she should grow up to serve the church, and that it was my responsibility to adopt the girl and raise her as my own daughter as a token of friendship to her parents... After the war, we relocated to Saringallow, where I eventually became the head priest."
he offers you all some water in wooden cups...
"My duties as a priest of Erastil required me to travel a great deal in the beginning... When I did... I left Nolaria in the care of her distant relatives... the Volsetti family, who lived on a farmstead a few days from Saringallow proper... During this time, Nolaria grew close with her cousin, Nixa Volsetti, a brave fighter who became like a protective older sister to the wide-eyed girl... Nixa taught her how to shoot a bow, and in turn... Nolaria taught Nixa how to read. As the cousins grew older, their relationship stayed strong... and Nixa still visits Nolaria for weeks at a time here at the temple."
he checks on one of the wounded citizens in his current care before continuing.
"I admit that she is bold and inquisitive, and is a friend to many of the settlement’s apprentices.... She often leads them all on excursions that... worry many in Saringallow. But she is a good girl."
"I believe she was last seen the day before last over by the old graveyard with her pet raven. I have not had the time to go search for her properly for two reason, I have many duties to perform as head priest of Erastil here in town and last time I went to look for her she was fine and we argued and I do not want to have that happen again. If you all go find her then I am not to blame and she wont get mad at me for it."
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The Speaker bows to the priest and draws an Ivory wand from the folds of their robe and indicates the two wounded villagers.
"I am sure you do all you can to help these injured souls, but if there are any injuries that Magic will help heal, I will gladly aid." They explain in a soft friendly tone. "My thanks for the information, when we find your charge we will be certain to tell her you care but will try to cause no arguments between you."