Squirm eyes Neils suspiciously
"maybe me? A thing could take offense at that tone Mr Christaph. I'm with you."
There is a twinkle of jest in the Dromites eyes as he pokes fun at Christaph. All the tension has leaked from it.
"with developements being as they are it may be worth our while returning to the colony as well, my cousins seem unaffected. I suppose we leave Neils to his beauty sleep."
With a shrug Squirm makes to leave the tavern.
"Let's check that church first, if nothing turns up we can try the colony later"
Squirm shambles off toward the church, as he crosses the bridge he gazes down at the water for a moment before moving off once more.
"Ok, Let's go over to this church building & see if we can find anything, though I doubt either the caravan master, or the two missing guards would have gone there. Then, just due to location, I say we go check out that other building that's only accessible from the outside of town since we'll be halfway to it. Let us move quickly please so we can reach the most number of areas possible this afternoon."
The duo progresses through Jace's Stanchion. It is a short walk over the northeast bridge to the small wooden church. Looking to see who or what this particular holy house is dedicate to seems challenging. There is considerable iconography in the clinic, though it does not seem to be consecrated to any god in particular. The group see no others around and gently knock on the wooden door.
"Enter!" comes the greeting from the other side. As the Squirm opens the door and pushes into the small house, a aged woman approaches them.
"Good day. I am Simene’s and this is my Clinic. What can I do for you strangers to Jace's Stanchion?"
"A Clinic you say? Is this a house of healing then? I'm sorry, where are my manners. I am named Squirm, for my sins, and this is My Dear friend Cristaph. We are, as you say, still strangers in your town; we are actually looking for some friends of ours that we seem to have carelessly mislain. Have you had any other visitors in the last day or so? Out of town visitors that is, I imagine the mine ensures you have plenty of local patrons"
"Hello Squirm. Christaph." she begins in a nice, but not warm tone. "This clinic serves the people of Jace's Stanchion in many different ways. It is occasionally used as a meeting hall, a wedding chapel and a funeral home. Some do worship in their own fashion. But primarily this is a house of healing. We do see miners, from time to time. It is a perilous profession.
"You are the first strangers to my town, as you say, to visit my clinic today. I am sorry to hear of your friends' misplacement. Jace's Stanchion is a safe place, House Duarran keeps us safe, so I am sure you have nothing to worry about."
"Well met Simene. Perhaps our friends did not come across as strangers to you for some reason. We are looking for and two caravan guards. One is a rather large fellow carrying a large weapon & the other constantly 'toys' with his knives. Have you seen anyone today that matches these descriptions please?"
"Also, if I may ask, with your clinic being right here on the edge of town, how is it that house Duarran keeps you safe from so far away?"
"I have not seen anybody fitting that description. How does House Duarran keep us safe?" she snorts.
"Know how many attacks we have had on the clinic? Ever? Zero. Not a one. That seems safe to me." she rolls her eyes. "Anything else I can do for you?
"Not one you say? Remarkable, untested then rather than safe... Oh there was just one more thing. In your remit as healer could you impart some wisdom unto me. I have a friend who, just recently and seemingly overnight, has renounced his old life and driving commitments, he seems to have become quite a different individual. What would you advise?"
Even the Dromite can read the scarcasm in the healers response. "In my medical profession, we tend to not treat people that changed their mind as sick. Might be different where your from. I'd advise to wish your friend well"
"Good day Madam"
Is Squirm's only response as it leaves with a smile and a slight bow
Once outside it turns to Christaph with a harsh whisper
"Everyone in this place has lost their minds and their manners with them! What in the hells is going on?! This better be worth it!"
"Yes indeed, everyone seems to be of a similar, however strange, mind. I suspect the answers lay in House Duarran, but let us ask around town quickly just to eliminate the possibilities."
"Quite! Where to next then? The quarry? Has anyone been there yet? 'Don't think so."
and with that, Squirm heads off to the quarry, he is growing impatient.
Nestled between the trifork of the river that Jace’s Stanchion rests the large Twin Mills Mosonary. As the group crosses the bridge they turn southeast towards the entrance to the Mill, and its large waterwheel. The door open, over the loud splash of the water wheel, the group can overhear a heated conversation from inside.
”What would your mother say if she saw this sloppy work?” comes a masculine voice.
That is followed quickly by ”If you hadn’t been so awful to her, she’d still be here and we could have asked her right now!” comes a second masculine voice.
As the group walks closer to the door, they can see two men squatting around a tall, hollow cylinder. Both men stand up abruptly from their work.
The slightly shorter man is a solidly built man in his late fifties; years of hard work have left him as solid as the stone he shapes. His thick beard and hair are still a vibrant red, a few strands of silver just creeping into his mustache.
The second man looks much the same, though he is slighter of build and grey has not yet touched his hair.
”Good day. I am Gregor, and this is my son, Falnor. What may we help you with?” the shorter man says as he walks outside to greet the group. He is quickly flanked by his son who stands with him in the doorway.
"Life in the place yet, eh Christaph?"
"Good afternoon gentlemen! Just taking in the sights to be honest, looking for some friends while we're at it, you havent had any visitors this morning have you? out of towners to be specific?"
"Sorry to say that we get few visitors, and no out of towners.
"Can we interest you in some wares? We sell some jewellery and statuary is available here, plus construction materials. We also carry a full stock of tools and building supplies. To top that off, we are the only ones that I know of that you can purchase Zerathi chisels and Zerathi picks from." Gregor ends with an expectant look.
"Good afternoon Mr. Gregor! My name is Christaph & this is my fellow ... guardsman? Squirm. I'm afraid I don't know much about any of these items you are offering. We are naught but simple caravan guards & have very ... eeemmm ... sparse? economic resources shall I say? As my companion here says, we are simply getting to know the town better while at the same time looking for and also our fellow guardsmen Morris & Simon. One of them would have been a rather large, strong fellow with a large weapon & the other would not seem to stop playing with his knives. Please good sir, have you seen any of them today?"
"Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing someone like that, playing with knives mind you, headed toward the mines. Honestly didn't think much of it at the time." comes Gregor’s response.
"Marvelous! That's the first lead we have had all day. Thank you Mr Gregor! I must say, you are not like the other townsfolk we have encountered, more... energized. It is refreshing indeed. The stone foundations of the town buildings, your work? Its very interesting..."
Squirm continues on for some time, listening intently to the pairs responses, knowing that the best way to get craftspeople on side is to take an interest in their work.
"...you're a long way out here, do the House protect you too?...
...do you have much business in the mines? How expansive are they?..."
Gregor nods enthusiastically as the dromite carries on. "House Duarran? They keep us safe. Jace's Stanchion is a wonderful place. Never been in the mines, but I do use the ore quite a bit in our work. And it makes lots of money for Jace's Stanchion. You boys interested in any of our wares? I do quality work."
"As do I!" adds in Falnor.
"When you're focused." mutters Gregor under his breath.
Falnor shoots Gregor a hurt look.
"So, even out here on the outskirts of town, separated as you are by the river from the rest of the town, House Duarran still keeps you safe? They must be amazing!" - the last line said quite obviously sarcastically - then turning to Squirm he whispers, "That is definitely a lead, but I was at the entrance to the mines earlier & there where no signs of either of our guardsmen. It is possible that I just missed them, or maybe someone is trying to mislead us?" then turning and facing Gregor again, "About what time of day was it that you saw this man please, good Gregor?"
Gregor scratches his head, "Midmorning maybe. I think that's right. Falnor was messing up soapstone carving ..."
"Was not." comes Falnor's sullen reply.
"You have been a great help gentlemen. As my colleague said we are a little light on coinage right now, but should we come into some wealth and have need of stone wares we shall come to you!"
Squirm reaches up and grasps Christaphs hand in a soft grip, drawing him away from the masons
"I think we have learned all we will learn outside of that mine, shall we return to the tavern and see whether our sleepy friend still remembers who he is?"
"I agree that were not going to find much different anywhere else in town, but what else shall we do for the rest of the day? Or are you thinking you want to go take a nap as well?"
With their first credible lead in the disappearance of Morris and Simon, Squirm and Christaph head back to the Absent Eidolon tavern.
Just waking from his nap, Neils comes down to greet them and inquire about their whereabouts this afternoon. After filling him in, the group now needs to decide what to do next to solve this mystery.
Neils nods along with his hand on his chin "Mhmm, mhmmm. Sounds like my intuition was correct."
"Yes it does. Now, what kind of plan can we come up with to get into the mine? I have a feeling those guards will not allow us by willingly. Are we willing to use force on them? Or do we have some way that we can bypass them? Or take them out of the picture temporarily?"
"I had planned on the latter" says Neils in a low voice, conscious of the possibility of eavesdroppers. "If it's just the two of them then I can probably take care of them handily without killing them."
Speaking in low tones, "Perhaps I could use my fire ray to distract them? If you think that could be useful at all? Or do you already have a more specific plan?"
Neils reaches into his bag and places a small vial on the table for Christaph.
For a while Squirm's head bobs up and down, just visible over the edge of the table as it leaps up and down to follow the conversation. Finally it gives up and drags a chair over. As it clambers up its faceted eyes sparkle at the sight of the fungal vial.
"Now here is a surprise, you holding out on us Mr Lafont? Where did you come by that little trinket?"
Neils shrugs "Aidan got them for me a while back, I figured they'd come in handy. I'll probably stop to knock the guards out since the effect is pretty short lived."
Undercover of darkness, the group leave the comfort of the Absent Eidolon Tavern. A firm plan in mind, the intrepid caravan guards prepare for the worst while silently hoping for the best.
The guards at the entrance to the Duarran estate merely give the guards a nod and an admonition to 'Stay the hell away from the house or we'll be putting a crossbow bolt in your arse!'. More bluster than threat, the group merely nods and continues their trek to the mine entrance.
As always, the two guards are grinning idiotically as if some unknown joke has passed between them.
Christaph will approach to within 35 feet and stop there.
Squirm reaches up a hand as the small group approach the mine, taking the vial that contained their hopes of a smooth entry.
"Here goes, wish me luck. Don't forget to scoop me up!"
Squirm wraps its cloak tightly round itself and limps towards the guards
"gentlemen, I am afraid I have sampled a little heavily from your lovely tavern... I find myself quite muddled... I am looking for... Here, this map, let me show you, I need to be here... Where am I now?"
Neils stays back, ready to rush in when the signal is given.
Christaph stands ready to throw a vial.
As Squirm approaches, Halek is caught unawares, but Sventa is a bit more prepared.
"Hold it right there bug. What are you playing at?"
As Squirm tries to smash the vial, Sventa fires out with her crossbow.
Luckily the bolt passes harmlessly by.
Closing his eyes tightly, Squirm runs at the guards and crushes the vial in his outstretched hand...
The brave dromite crushes the vial and a blinding, bright light emits forth stunning him and the two guards.
Neils jumps out from behind the rocks and rushes the nearest guard. With a swing of his crackling blade he sends a wave of pure force at Sventa in an attempt to knock her out.
Christaph rushes up next to the two guards & stands watch, looking expectantly at Neils waiting for him to 'incapacitate' the guards as he had stated he was planning to do.
As the two guards and Squirm stand in dumbfound silence, too stunned to move, Neils rushes forward and cracks Sventa on the head with his blade made of force. Her head explodes like a ripe melon, sending electrically burned bits of grey matter to the ground. She crumples in a heap, never to move again.
Christaph stands nearby watching Neils 'incapacitate' the female guard.
Neils is already moving on the next guard. This time he attempts to restrain himself further.