You keep on following the tracks, led by Lokeemon.
As you journey closer to the base of Droskar’s Crag, the darkness of the vale deepens even further, and emerging from a bleak treeline of twisted black elms you catch the first glimpse of the an old construction in the distance, almost fully in ruins - tall grasses and chunks of stone debris have all but overtaken its small yard.
Off to one side, a wooden stable has collapsed into a mound of rotting timbers and moldy straw. The outer wall on the east side has also collapsed, leaving a ragged hole. Bits of foundation-work only suggest the structure's original layout, fading memories of a world long ago crushed under the unforgiving heel of time.
In the distance, and far off to the woods on your right, both Duncan and Tsin Tao seem to hear a lone cry carried by the wind.
You run for a few hundred yards until you come upon a young girl stumbling out of the woods - she wears a dirty, ragged, and very torn yellow dress, and drags along a battered straw doll - "Help..." - her voice breaks up when she sees you approaching, and the young one falls to the ground sobbing, her frail body bobbing back and forth - "Lost, lost..."
Saktar, you notice nothing standing out - are you searching for something in particular?
The girl cries and whimpers - "All dead..." - she sobs - "In the fire... All of Jeva friends dead..." - and eventually breaks into tears - "I am run and run and run forever... And now so hungry" - she manages inbetween fits of crying.
She jumps on the food with abandon, gulping it down along with the water.
Lokeemon looks around but sees no one chasing/following the girl.
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I sit beside the girl and talk with her while she eats.
Youre a very strong girl that’s for sure! What’s your name?´
I let the girl take her time to eat and answer but I keep talking to her unless I see that she’s not in the mood for talking.
Are you a Jeva friend also? Who is Jeva? Were you taken here? How? Who is getting the kids and for what?
Are you a Jeva friend also? Who is Jeva? Were you taken here? How? Who is getting the kids and for what?
The girl seems a little confused at the torrent of questions, but with her mouth full of bread she still answers - "I is Jeva. All kids be dead in the fire" - she begins to sniffle again.
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Alright Jeva. No need to worry now, we'll help you.
I'm Tsin Tao, you can call me Tsin. This is Saktar, Lokeemon and Duncan.
We're out here looking for some kids who were playing around the orphanage where you lived, just a few days ago. We haven't found them there. You haven't seen them have you? Or know where they could have gone off to? Or maybe hidden somewhere?
As Tsin Tao speaks to her, the girl seems to recoil some, and closer to Duncan - "Ugly man... Is bad?" - she whispers to the dwarf, clutching her doll tight.
"At the orphanage..." - her voice trails off.
Tsin Tao finds the girls tracks leading away from the group.
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Ok my friends, gather around for a minute
I want to get everyone a bit further away from the girl so we can talk. Once we're all there...
I don't think we can do anything different than double back and take this girl back to the village.
We'll talk to her on the way. She will relax and warm up to the group and will answer all our questions. What do you say?
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I also wouldn't like to bring her into a fight, but there is the possibility of some other kid being alive and if we go and double back it may be too late.
I want to understand where they were attacked and search for any survivor.
Daren try and ask her if she knows Kimi or Mikra just to make sure this is the same group, where they were attacked and by whom.
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While I shake my head ...
Sorry, I was still focused on our last encounter and thinking about the tracks from the tent and the struggle signals on the tent.
Was hearing Jeva but I was not really listening to hear.
So, Jeva is from the orphanage where there was a fire some time ago and she has been wandering since then.
If we go back to town and double back we may lose too much time.
I say we keep following the footsteps and tell her to hide whenever we run into problems.
Meanwhile we can ask her to tell us what she has seen since she left the orphanage.
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Lokeemon is a bit surprised that such an young child could survive months alone in the woods.
to see if something about her is off.
Also I would like to know if the tracks that I've been following could include the girls footsteps?
I'm assuming that I've been following more than 1 set of footsteps?
If needed, I go and take a good look at the girls footsteps if possible without she noticing it. I believe I can do this by approaching the girl and ask her if she is still hungry and if she would like more food or water? This would get me close to her where I can check the type of footsteps she leaves.
to see if she is lying when she answer
Guys we have to decide between saving this girl and possibly letting the other kids die or risk this girl live and try to search and save the other kids if they are still alive.
It's not an easy call you guys seem to prefer to go with the path to make sure this girl survives, let's get back to the orphanage and from there we'll get back to town.
Let's do it as fast as possible we will have to decide if we want to sleep or if we are able to get back during the night.
Lokeemon you don't think there is anything 'off' about the girl, apart from her being out in the woods all alone.
When you move closer, offering food, she buries her face in Duncan's chest - "Even uglier than other" - you hear her muffled voice.
You do however manage to check out her feet (she's barefooted) for later comparison to the tracks you have been following - it is possible that they could include the girl's footsteps. You will need to take another look at the tracks themselves, and roll a Survival.
Jeva do you know Mikra and Kimi? They desapeared and we’re looking for them.
First she looks around to see if Lokeemon is still there - "Who is? Mikra and Kimi? Children from village?" - she inquires, staring at the priest with her huge green eyes.
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As Lokeemon aproaches Duncan and Jeva trying to be as sincere and friendly as possible.
I know you don't like me, but I mean you no harm and this is really important.
There are more kids that can be lost in woods just like you or worst.
Please tell me, have you seen anyone beside us on the last few days?
Tsin Tao does his best to smile at the small girl to make her at ease, but she simply shies away from him.
Though... Lokeemon's words do seem to carry some weight, and she pays him a certain degree of attention - "I see kids yes. I see kids yesterday - they taken by kobolds to the ruins" - she shrugs.
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Kobolds??
Saktar couldn't stay away anymore
Why would they want children?
He starts to pace around looking nervous
We have to move guys, now!
I suggest that the scout and whoever can follow tracks go and look for the beasts while the rest return the girl to the village.
Then, we meet back here in a few hours
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The plan is for me and Tsin to go and find the Kobolds, right?
I've been able to follow the tracks but when I get closer it's possible that I don't manage to do it stealthy and so we may be discovered.
I believe I can outrun the kobolds, but what I'm worried is with the kids life if they see us.
Once there, I'm not sure the capacity that we will have to do anything and you probably will not be able to follow the tracks to find us.
If we have to come back to take you there then I don't know the usefulness of splitting us.